Right Livelihood denounces global repression of peaceful protesters at Human Rights Council

Right Livelihood drew attention to the persistent repression peaceful protesters and human rights defenders face worldwide in a statement at the 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

You can read the entire statement here.

The statement was given in response to a report issued by the Special Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and association, underscoring a critical issue: the global trend of law enforcement agencies obstructing the right to peaceful assembly.

“Peaceful demonstrations frequently encounter deliberate forceful disruptions, subjecting activists and their families to reprisals and various forms of violence, both online and offline,” we told the Council.

Pointing to the cases of Right Livelihood Laureates across the globe, we demonstrated the clear trend of violence and reprisal against human rights defenders, merely for exercising their fundamental rights.

In Western Sahara, for example, Laureate Aminatou Haidar’s organisation ISACOM documented over 200 violations of the right to peaceful assembly by Moroccan authorities between 2022 and 2023. Activists like Haidar are relentlessly harassed and assaulted, and their freedom of movement is restricted.

The situation for human rights defenders is especially concerning in Iran. Last year, Laureate Nasrin Soutoudeh was arrested alongside other activists for peacefully advocating for change. Arbitrary detentions, lengthy sentences and abuse are common across the country, we told the Council.

Belarusian authorities are also increasingly engaging in political repression. According to Laureate organisation Viasna, 1,407 peaceful political prisoners are currently being arbitrarily held in the country.

To close the statement, we addressed the Special Rapporteur directly, urging the Council to take concrete steps to address these widespread human rights abuses. We must take collective action to protect peaceful protestors.