United Nations Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai called on all governments and the international community to further promote and protect the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, “violated or at risk in a number of countries.” “It is astonishing how often States have encroached upon the right of individuals to assemble peacefully by also violating their rights to life and to be free from torture, rights which allow no limitation,” Mr. Kiai said during the presentation of his annual report to the UN Human Rights Council, in… Continue reading →
A group of United Nations human rights experts, including Maina Kiai, called on the Government of Malaysia and other parties involved to respect and protect the legitimate work of an umbrella group of NGOs campaigning for reform of the electoral process in the lead-up to the general election, scheduled to take place by April 2013. The UN independent experts on human rights defenders, freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression urged the authorities to protect effectively one of the directors of the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections… Continue reading →
This statement was issued by the Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Special Rapporteurs of the United Nations present at the seminar “Human Rights Defenders and Peaceful Protests” held in Oslo on June 6-8, 2012: Basic principles 1. States should guarantee the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of association, and freedom of opinion and expression, which are essential components of democracy and indispensable to the full enjoyment of civil, political, economic,… Continue reading →
Two United Nations independent experts on the freedoms of peaceful assembly and association, and of opinion and expression today voiced concern over demonstrations in Quebec on 24 May, reportedly involving serious acts of violence and detention of up to 700 protesters. They also urged the federal and provincial governments of Canada and Quebec to fully respect the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, expression and association of students affected by two new pieces of legislation. In the last four months students have been demonstrating in… Continue reading →
United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Mr. Maina Kiai, today urged the Algerian authorities to seize the unique opportunity offered by the upcoming legislative elections to ensure that the new regulations for civil society organizations, adopted at the end of last year, adequately meet the requirements of international human rights law. “The legislative elections, scheduled on Thursday, 10 May 2012, must address civil society’s legitimate demands and uphold freedom of association,” Mr. Kiai… Continue reading →
