Amnesty is observing more repression against protesters – especially against climate activists. For the first time, Germany is being denounced on a list – along with Iran.
Berlin – The human rights organization Amnesty International is observing increasing restrictions on freedom of assembly in Germany. On a digital world map published on Tuesday (September 19), the NGO lists countries in which protests are being suppressed and suppressed by the state in an undemocratic manner, according to a press release.
On this “Protest Map”, Amnesty also lists Germany for the first time as a country in which freedom of assembly is increasingly restricted “through preventive detention, painful attacks, repressive legislation and bans on assembly”. “In Germany, protests are sometimes perceived by state authorities as a threat to public safety and order and are therefore restricted. This causes us great concern,” says Paula Zimmermann, an expert on freedom of expression and assembly at Amnesty International in Germany.
Amnesty International on Germany: Climate activists are victims of “increasing repression”
In this country, climate activists in particular are exposed to “increasing repression”. In Bavaria, dozens of activists, mostly from the “Last Generation” climate movement, have been taken into preventive detention for up to 30 days since October 2022. Instead of being used to prevent serious crimes, as was originally intended, this measure is being used for deterrence purposes, says Zimmermann. “This circumvents the right to a fair trial and constitutes a human rights violation.” With the Raid against the “Last Generation” last May saw Amnesty “reaching a new level of escalation”.
Preventive bans on gatherings have also been issued in some German cities in order to prevent unpleasant climate protests in advance. Also pro-Palestinian rallies in Berlin on the occasion of Nakba Remembrance Day were banned preventively in 2022 and 2023. Amnesty criticizes such bans on gatherings “as disproportionate due to their blanket nature” and classifies them as questionable from a human rights perspective because “they refer to stigmatizing and discriminatory stereotypes.”
Despite climate protest: Amnesty International appeals – “Protect freedom of assembly in Germany”
Amnesty also speaks of “excessive police violence”, which in turn would particularly affect climate activists. Painful special grips, Called pain grips, they are used specifically to break up their protest actions. This practice, used against peaceful protesters, violates the principle of proportionality. “In some cases, these techniques can even represent degrading or inhumane treatment and thus violate the prohibition of torture,” says Zimmermann.
Overall, protest as such in Germany is “partly criminalized and demonized, instead of respecting it as a human right and recognizing it as the core of a vibrant civil society,” said Amnesty official Zimmermann. “We appeal to the federal and state governments to comprehensively protect freedom of assembly in Germany.”
Amnesty International sees a global trend towards greater repression against protesters
According to Amnesty, Germany is not alone in its trend towards more repression against protesters, even if the extent of the repression is comparatively limited. The human rights organization has noted a worldwide increase in state repression of protests. 156 countries were examined for the “Protest Map”. In at least 86 of them, the authorities used “unlawful force” and “repressive laws” against protests.
Protesters were arbitrarily detained in 79 countries and lethal weapons were even used in 37 countries. In Peru, 49 protesting people were killed by security forces. The situation is particularly bad Iran. The regime there murdered hundreds and arbitrarily detained tens of thousands, including children. Numerous people were tortured in prison and also mistreated through sexual violence.
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