Thank you, Mr. Special Rapporteur, for your efforts to advance freedom of peaceful assembly and association. We are dismayed by the unlawful restrictions on this fundamental freedom in many member states globally — in contradiction with their obligations under international law.
The United States strongly condemns the brutality by Iran’s security forces. The killing of more than 200 protesters following Mahsa Amini’s death is appalling. We strongly urge the international community to speak out in support of universal rights, rights that belong to all Iranians as to all people around the globe.
In Russia, Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine goes hand in hand with his brutal repression at home. More than 15,000 Russian citizens have reportedly been arbitrarily detained for peacefully expressing opposition to the war.
We continue to have concerns with substantial limits being placed upon people’s ability to peacefully protest and organize in Afghanistan, Belarus, Burma, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Bangladesh. For example, we are deeply concerned about repeated, credible claims from Bangladesh’s civil society and political opposition that they can’t freely voice their opinion publicly in a pre-electoral environment.
We encourage all States to take specific steps to ensure access to justice and to fight impunity, in particular for the killing of protesters and for repression of peaceful protests.
We ask: What steps can States take to create an enabling environment for social movement and members of civil society?
Thank you.
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