The Human Rights Council must act urgently to respond to the violent repression of
demonstrations currently underway in the Middle East, North Africa and
beyond. The Human Rights Council cannot be a passive bystander of such
events, during which the lives of ordinary citizens have been taken or put at
risk through violent and unlawful repression. Hundreds of thousands of people
in several countries have taken to the streets to peacefully call for their
fundamental rights and freedoms to be respected.
Silence is Not an Option!
Petition for immediate action by the United Nations Human Rights
Council.
The undersigned organisations urge the
Human Rights Council to act urgently to respond to the violent repression of
demonstrations currently underway in the Middle East, North Africa and
beyond. The Human Rights Council cannot be a passive bystander of such
events, during which the lives of ordinary citizens have been taken or put at
risk through violent and unlawful repression. Hundreds of thousands of people
in several countries have taken to the streets to peacefully call for their
fundamental rights and freedoms to be respected. Several hundred
demonstrators have been killed. Protestors, journalists, human rights
defenders, former political prisoners and humanitarian workers have been beaten
or arbitrarily arrested. In the face of such wide-spread rights
violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms the United Nations Human
Rights Council can no longer remain silent. The Council should:
- Unequivocally condemn the killing of
hundreds of demonstrators over the past few weeks, and call for an
immediate cessation of killings like these, including in Libya where they
are still taking place. - Condemn all forms of excessive use of
force to repress demonstrations, including the wide spread use of
arbitrary arrest, detention and torture of peaceful demonstrators. - Condemn unprecedented restrictions which
undermine access to information and violate freedom of expression, such as
the blocking of internet services and telecommunications and attacks
against media professionals. - Remind all governments that are
experiencing mass and widespread demonstrations to respect and protect
freedom of assembly and association, and allow their citizens to freely
express their opinions through peaceful rallies and demonstrations, in
accordance with their international obligations. - Reaffirm that it is the responsibility of
governments to provide protection for human rights defenders and guarantee
their safety. - Call for the immediate release of people arbitrarily
detained during such protests. - Assert that there should be no reprisals
against people who have taken part in demonstrations. - Remind states of their obligations under
article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states that
“the will of the people shall
be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed
in periodic and genuine elections”. - Call on Governments that are or that have
experienced wide-spread protests to ensure that independent investigations
into rights violations committed during the demonstrations are conducted
promptly and that those responsible for such violations are prosecuted. - Draw lessons from the experience and,
where it exists, good practice of governments regarding the protection of
human rights and fundamental freedoms in situations of large peaceful
demonstrations.
Many of those demonstrating are rejecting
governments that have deprived citizens of human rights and fundamental
freedoms over many decades. The Council should therefore also seek to address
the root causes of these peaceful protests, including the denial of fundamental
civil, political, social and economic rights.
Finally, in view of the provisions
contained in General Assembly resolution 60/251, members of the Council are
expected to “uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of
human rights”. Due to the recent killing of protestors in Libya and
Bahrain and the systematic and widespread repression of the demonstrations, the
General Assembly should immediately suspend the rights of membership of both
these countries in the United Nations Human Rights Council for having committed
gross and systematic violations of human rights.
21
February 2011
African Centre for Democracy and Human
Rights Studies (ACDHRS)
African Democracy Forum
Amnesty International
Asia Forum for Human Rights and Development
(FORUM-ASIA)
Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC)
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (CELS)
CIVICUS – World Alliance for Citizen
Participation
Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative
Conectas Direitos Humanos
Democracy Coalition Project
East and Horn of Africa Human Rights
Defenders Project
Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights
Human Rights Agenda – Nigeria
Human Rights Watch
International Federation for Human Rights
(FIDH)
International Service for Human Rights
Partnership for Justice – Nigeria
West Africa Human Rights Defenders Network
