UN accuses Asian nations of censorship during COVID-19 pandemic

The United Nations rights chief Michelle Bachelet warned Wednesday that China and other Asian countries were using the coronavirus crisis as an excuse to clamp down on free expression and tighten censorship.

For latest updates on coronavirus outbreak, click here

The UN rights office said it had received information on "more than a dozen cases of medical professionals, academics and ordinary citizens who appear to have been detained, and in some instances charged, for publishing their views or other information on the situation related to COVID-19," or for being critical of the government's response to the crisis.