The UN rights chief warned that countries flouting the rule of law in the name of fighting the coronavirus pandemic risk sparking a “human rights disaster”, AFP reported.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet called on countries to refrain from violating fundamental rights “under the guise of exceptional or emergency measures”.

“Emergency powers should not be a weapon governments can wield to quash dissent, control the population, and even perpetuate their time in power,” she warned in a statement.

“They should be used to cope effectively with the pandemic — nothing more, nothing less.”