The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)and Amnesty International have called on the government of Sierra Leone to hold prompt and impartial investigation into protests on August 10, which resulted in the deaths of dozens of people.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachele said, “I am alarmed by reports of several casualties and fatalities yesterday in Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown during public protests.”
“I call on the Government of Sierra Leone to hold prompt, impartial and thorough investigations into yesterday’s violence and bring those responsible to account regardless of their status and political affiliation. I urge all sides to embrace dialogue.”
She said that Sierra Leone must remain firmly on the path of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. “The authorities should facilitate rather than seek to prevent peaceful protests, and desist from unnecessary and disproportionate responses to the protests such as shutting down the Internet and imposing open-ended curfews,” Bachele said.
Michèle Eken, researcher at Amnesty International’s West and Central Africa office, said, “The commitment from the authorities to investigate the deaths and other harm caused during the demonstrations which turned violent is an important step in the right direction. It is essential to ensure the full independence and impartiality of the investigation to determine the circumstances and responsibilities for the loss of lives, including if force was used in accordance with international standards, and to hold accountable all those responsible, including those in command.”
“When policing assemblies, security forces have an obligation to minimize harm and injury, preserve human life and exercise restraint in the use of force. Law enforcement officials should only use force where there is no other means of achieving their legitimate objectives, and when the use of force is necessary and proportionate to the situation they face. This role should always be carried out in a way that ensures full respect for the right to life, liberty, and security of all persons, including those suspected of committing a crime.”
Amnesty International recalls that international human rights law equally protects spontaneous assemblies, which must not be dispersed solely for the fact that individuals did not submit a prior notification to the authorities. Therefore, the organization urges the government of Sierra Leone to amend the 1965 Public Order Act to expressly include an exemption from the prior notification requirement in the case of spontaneous assemblies.
Amnesty International is also concerned that the authorities cut off the internet sporadically between 10 and 11 August. Access to the internet, social media, instant messaging apps and other digital technologies are important tools expanding the ability of people to protest both online and offline, enabling people to gain access to information, distribute details about an upcoming protest, organize, and enable virtual engagement in a wide variety of ways. “Therefore, disruption of internet access is a violation of the right to freedom of expression and access to information protected by international human rights law and can have a dire impact on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly,” Eken said.
“Amnesty International heard reports of more than a hundred of people arrested. The authorities must ensure that bystanders and those who were protesting peacefully are not arbitrarily arrested simply for having participated in the demonstrations. If the authorities have enough evidence pointing to the use of violence by some individuals during the protests, they must guarantee their rights to due process and fair trial throughout the proceeding, including the right to representation.”
Ousmane DRABO
Media Manager – West and Central Africa
Amnesty International
Point E, Rue 34 – Immeuble Malaado Plazza, 6eme étage
P.O. Box 47582 Liberté – Dakar, SENEGAL
Mob: +221 77 623 40 40 ; E: ousmane.drabo@amnesty.org
[Message clipped] View entire message
By Sallieu S Kanu