The UN voiced alarm Tuesday at the use of legal proceedings in Bangladesh to intimidate and harass rights advocates and civil society leaders, including Nobel laureate and microcredit pioneer Muhammad Yunus.

“The legal harassment of civil society leaders, human rights defenders and other dissenting voices is a worrying sign for civic and democratic space in Bangladesh,” UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva.

“These cases also represent an important test for the independence of the judiciary in Bangladesh.”

National elections are due in Bangladesh by the end of January, but rights groups and foreign governments have long raised concerns over efforts by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government to silence criticism and stamp out political dissent.

Among others, Shamdasani pointed out that 83-year-old Yunus, who was awarded the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for his work promoting economic development, “has faced harassment and intimidation for almost a decade”.

He is currently facing two trials — one for allegedly violating labour laws and the other for alleged corruption — that carry potential prison sentences, she pointed out.

Yunus, who is credited with lifting millions out of poverty with his pioneering micro-credit bank, will have the opportunity to defend himself in court.

But Shamdasani said the rights office was “concerned that smear campaigns against him, often emanating from the highest levels of government, risk undermining his right to a fair trial and due process in line with international standards”.

She also highlighted cases brought against the leaders of the Odhikar organisation, Adilur Rahman Khan and Nasiruddin Elan, with their verdicts expected on Thursday.

The criminal charges against them relate to a fact-finding report they compiled 10 years ago on extra-judicial killings, she said, adding that both men “have faced harassment and intimidation, and their organisation’s licence was not renewed”.

Shamdasani said her boss, UN rights chief Volker Turk, was calling on Bangladesh judicial authorities “to ensure the most rigorous review in these cases to ensure that rights to due process and fair trial are strictly and consistently applied”.

He also urges authorities in the country “to create a safe and enabling environment for human rights defenders and other civil society representatives,” she said, stressing this was needed for them “to carry out their essential work for the welfare and protection of all people in Bangladesh”.