Dakar (Senegal), Aug 28 (AP) The United Nations human rights chief is calling for a quick investigation into death threats against Congolese Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Denis Mukwege.

Michelle Bachelet on Friday said Mukwege is a “true hero" for his work as a human rights defender. The doctor founded a hospital in eastern Congo that is renowned for its work treating survivors of sexual violence.

Also Read | Shinzo Abe Resigns: PM Narendra Modi Expresses Concerns Over Poor Health Status of Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, Prays for His Speedy Recovery.

“His life seems to be at serious risk,” she said of Mukwege, who survived an assassination attempt in 2012 and has faced death threats before.

U.N. human rights office spokesman Rupert Colville said “it's difficult to say at this point exactly who is behind these death threats.”

Also Read | Pakistan PM Imran Khan Says ‘Allowing Nawaz Sharif to Leave the Country Was a Mistake’.

He noted that Mukwege has repeatedly denounced human rights violations in Congo, adding: “The threats appear linked more to his advocacy.”

Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi has made a public commitment to ensure Mukwege's security. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)