The Representative in Nepal of United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights(OHCHR), Ian Martin, has conveyed to authorities OHCHR’s serious concern at reports of the excessive use of force by police in their response to recent public demonstrations and the subsequent beating and abuse by police of some of the participants, as well as increasing restrictions imposed on peaceful public gatherings. With regard to the police response to continuing protests in Kathmandu, OHCHR has received information on incidents of police throwing stones at demonstrators leading to injuries, the use of
teargas guns in close proximity to demonstrators and in the vicinity of hospitals and schools, the arrest of demonstrators on questionable legal grounds, the excessive and indiscriminate use of force by some police while taking demonstrators into custody, the failure to facilitate access to
medical care for injured demonstrators, as well as threats and injuries to some human rights monitors and members of the press observing the demonstrations. OHCHR has also received information on the arrest of many demonstrators and the beatings of some arrested persons by members of the police. OHCHR is similarly concerned that, more than four months after the end of the state of emergency, peaceful public gatherings continue to be prohibited in a number of areas in
Kathmandu and that similar bans have recently been imposed in other districts, including Jhapa and Kailali districts, with the clear intention to prevent announced civil society rallies. OHCHR deplores the violence used by some participants in some of the demonstrations. However, while acknowledging the difficult and sometimes dangerous position that police may find themselves in while trying to control or disperse crowds at gatherings where some
demonstrators are violent, OHCHR emphasizes that there can be no justification for the excessive use of force. OHCHR is concerned that a lack of restraint by the police may contribute to escalating violence and expresses it deep concern over reports of beatings and abuse of demonstrators, which constitute torture.
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Publisher:
UNOHCHR
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(2005
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Type / Script:
Press Release
in English
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Keywords:
CIVIL SOCIETY RALLIES, PEACEFUL PUBLIC GATHERING, PUBLIC ORDER, CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE, RIGHT TO FREEDOM, RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY, PUNISHMENT, EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE, THREATS, CUSTODY, DEMONSTRATORS, VIOLENCE, FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT, BEATINGS AND ABUSE, JUSTIFICATION, CONTROL OR DISPERSE CROWDS, DISCRIMINATION
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Thematic Group:
UNOHCHR
:
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
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Thesaurus:
01.01.00
- Political Conditions, Institutions, Movements
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Reference Link:
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