Issue No. 12 of the Assembly and Association Briefing, the newsletter of Maina Kiai, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. In this issue: • Experts in Chile to shape UN recommendations on managing peaceful assemblies • Vibrant civil society fundamental to Latin America’s successes thus far – and equally important going forward, Kiai says in Chile • UN experts: continued detention of Ethiopian journalists unacceptable • Pre-election violence endangers Burundi’s young democracy • Contribute to the UNSR's next report on "sectoral equity" • Freedom of association and assembly: By the numbers • Special rapporteur news in brief: March-April 2015 • World briefing: Freedom of assembly and association in the news For a link to the newsletter, click on the image at right or click here (2.3MB file) or here (13MB full resolution file). To subscribe to our newsletter, please drop us a line at info@freeassembly.net with the subject line “subscribe to newsletter.” For other recent newsletters, see the links below: The Assembly and Association Briefing, Vol. 1, No. 9 (December 2014) The Assembly and Association Briefing, Vol. 2, No. 1 (Issue 10) (January 2015) The Assembly and Association Briefing, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Issue 11)... Continue reading →
GENEVA – A group of United Nations experts, including Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai, today condemned the violence in Burundi and urged the authorities to uphold human rights, including freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly. They also called for a thorough and independent investigation into the human rights violations so that the perpetrators are brought to justice. Over the past days, Burundi has suffered a wave of killings, arbitrary arrests, intimidation, the closure of media outlets and the targeting of human rights defenders. This has taken place in the context of peaceful protests against the decision of the ruling party to have incumbent President Nkurunziza run for a third presidential term. In response, security forces violently cracked down on the protesters with live ammunition, grenades and tear gas. Most recent reports indicate that the internet is now being blocked throughout the country. “We urge all parties to resolve differences through dialogue, avoid using inflammatory language or hate speech, and to refrain from violence. This call is also made to various parts of the country’s security sector, which should fulfil their role in a non-partisan manner,” they said. The international experts emphasised that the troubling events of the past days should also be... Continue reading →
Issue No. 6 of the Assembly and Association Briefing, the newsletter of Maina Kiai, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. In this issue: • Special Rapporteur prepares to tackle multilateral institutions in October 2014 report • “Kiai Comments” – a new way to support assembly and association rights on your website • Special Rapporteur: Targeting at-risk groups a reprehensible “divide and conquer” technique • Egypt: UN Experts “outraged” at confirmation of 183 death sentences • Maina Kiai in Burundi on unofficial academic visit • Kiai blasts UN-Kenya for favoring ‘stability’ over rights • Freedom of association and assembly: By the numbers • Special rapporteur news in brief: June and July 2014 • World briefing: Freedom of assembly and association in the news For a link to the newsletter, click on the image at right or click here (1.4 MB file) or here (7.8 MB full resolution file). To subscribe to our newsletter, please drop us a line at info@freeassembly.net with the subject line “subscribe to newsletter.” For other recent newsletters, see the links below: The Assembly and Association Briefing, Vol. 1, Issue 3 (April 2014) The Assembly and Association Briefing, Vol. 1, Issue 4 (May 2014) The Assembly... Continue reading →
BUJUMBURA, Burundi –UN Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai will give a public lecture in Bujumbura, Burundi, tomorrow as part of a brief academic visit to the country ahead of key elections planned for 2015. The lecture will take place at 2 p.m. on July 22 at the Best Outlook Hotel. The subject of the lecture is “the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the context of elections.” Kiai, who is the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, is concerned about reports of growing restrictions on assembly and association rights in Burundi, particularly with elections approaching. Kiai has so far met with a range of stakeholders from both civil society and the government. Kiai has turned the issue of assembly and association rights during election periods one of his signature issues during his time as Special Rapporteur – even making it the focus of his most recent report to the UN General Assembly. “The rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association are especially critical in the lead-up to elections,” Kiai said. “Democracy is not simply the act of casting a vote. It’s a year-round job. An election cannot be free if the people are not free to express their will through peaceful assemblies and associations every... Continue reading →
Issue No. 3 of the Assembly and Association Briefing, the newsletter of Maina Kiai, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. In this issue: • UN experts condemn mass death sentences in Egypt • UN rights experts express concern as Turkey bans Twitter and YouTube ahead of elections • China: UN experts deplore events leading to death of HRD Cao Shunli, ask for full investigation • UN experts: Venezuela must account for arbitrary detentions and violence against protesters • Thailand: 10 years after Somchai’s disappearance, family still awaiting truth and justice • Myanmar: UN expert raises alarm on Rakhine State • Assembly & association rights: By the numbers • Special rapporteur news in brief: March and April 2014 • World briefing: Freedom of assembly and association in the news For a link to the newsletter, click on the image at right or click here. To subscribe to our newsletter, please drop us a line at info@freeassembly.net with the subject line "subscribe to newsletter." For other recent newsletters, see the links below: The Assembly and Association Briefing, Vol. 1, Issue 1 (Jan. 2014) The Assembly and Association Briefing, Vol. 1, Issue 2 (Feb-March... Continue reading →
