Sowore: SERAP petitions UN over attacks on protesters in Abuja

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has petitioned
the United Nations Special Rapporteur, Mr. Clement Voule, on the
people’s right to peaceful assembly and association.

The group urged him to “publicly express concerns about the
growing human rights violations and abuses in Nigeria and call on
the authorities to end violent attacks on peaceful protesters and
to take urgent measures to respect and protect the rights of all
Nigerians to protest anywhere in the country.”

SERAP alleged that, “Nigerian authorities and police yesterday
(Monday) morning in Abuja failed to stop attacks on peaceful
demonstrators by young men apparently armed with sticks and sharp
objects. The police officers who were present did not intervene
decisively to stop the attacks or arrest any of the attackers.”

In the petition dated December 24, 2019, and signed by SERAP
Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said the
regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (Retd.) was
responsible under the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended)
and international law to protect the rights of protesters.

SERAP said, “The wave of protests against repression by both the
Federal and State authorities illustrates a broken social contract
between the authorities and Nigerians. The authorities have been
failing to meet the demands of Nigerians to respect human rights,
end restrictions on civic space, obey court orders and ensure the
rule of law.”

The petition copied to Ms Michelle Bachelet, UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights, read in part, “The failure to hold
to account those responsible has continued to increase the
vulnerability of protesters and activists in the country.

“We urge you to put pressure on the Nigerian authorities to
immediately and thoroughly investigate the attacks, identify the
perpetrators and ensure the prosecution of anyone found to be
responsible for the violent attacks.

“SERAP is seriously concerned that the Nigerian authorities have
so far failed and/or neglected to address or redress the attacks on
peaceful protesters, despite growing calls on the authorities to
investigate the attacks and bring perpetrators to justice.

“We urge you to put pressure on the Nigerian authorities to take
all feasible measures to protect peaceful protesters demanding the
release of all prisoners of conscience, and full respect for the
rule of law.

“We urge you to put pressure on the Nigerian authorities to make
clear that they will not tolerate violent attacks on protesters.
The authorities have a responsibility both to respect the right to
freedom of peaceful assembly and to protect protesters from violent
attacks.

“The demonstrations have taken place against a backdrop of the
failure by the Nigerian authorities to respect human rights,
release prisoners of conscience including Omoyele Sowore, Olawale
Bakare, and Agba Jalingo, obey court orders and respect the rule of
law.

“Freedom of peaceful assembly is a fundamental right guaranteed
under the Nigerian Constitution and regional and international
human rights treaties including the African Charter on Human and
Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.

“Deji Adeyanju, one of the protesters, was hospitalised after
sustaining bruises on his left arm. Protesters were reportedly
chased from the Secretariat of the National Human Rights Commission
where they had gathered to deliver a petition to the
commission.

“The attacks are coming on the heels of similar violent attacks
on protesters demanding the release of prisoners of conscience in
Abuja in November, and another apparently sponsored and coordinated
attacks against Amnesty International’s office in Abuja in March
2017, following the launch of its human rights report on the
military.”

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