LOC17:05
14:05 GMT
GENEVA, Oct 16 (KUNA) -- A group of UN human rights experts on Thursday urged Germany to immediately stop criminalising and repressing demonstrations and activism in support of Palestine, expressing alarm over what they described as a "persistent pattern" of police violence and suppression of peaceful protest.
In a statement released in Geneva, the experts called on German authorities to respect and facilitate the right to peaceful assembly "for everyone without discrimination." They stressed that non-violent protests are protected under international law and "must not be punished or subject to undue restrictions based on their political content."
According to the statement, since October 2023, Germany has reportedly expanded restrictions on Palestinian solidarity movements and protests despite their largely peaceful nature.
The experts said "these gatherings express legitimate demands including calls to halt arms exports to Israel, end the occupation, ensure humanitarian access to Gaza, recognise the State of Palestine and hold those responsible for atrocity crimes accountable."
Over recent months, several demonstrations in Berlin have reportedly been met with police violence, resulting in injuries and dozens of arrests. Some protesters were detained simply for chanting the slogan "From the river to the sea Palestine will be free." While German authorities have interpreted the phrase as support for Hamas, multiple German courts have recognised it as protected speech under freedom of expression laws.
The experts also raised alarm over arbitrary arrests, detentions, and police assaults on activists during demonstrations marking the second anniversary of the 7 October attack and the subsequent genocide in Gaza. Reports indicated that Berlin police imposed sudden bans on protests without evidence-based justification.
"We have repeatedly raised with the German Government our concerns over unjustified restrictions on Palestinian solidarity movements," the experts said. They cited a pattern of "unwarranted protest bans the defunding of associations, excessive police force, arbitrary detentions, including of minors and the criminalisation of human rights defenders."
According to the experts, German authorities often invoke "overly broad justifications" related to national security, public safety, or the prevention of antisemitism to restrict legitimate activism. They also warned against the misuse of immigration laws to deny citizenship or deport activists, describing such measures as "deeply chilling" to democratic freedoms.
The UN experts, including the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Gina Romero, the Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity, Cecilia M. Bailliet and the Independent expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, George Katrougalos, confirmed they have communicated their concerns directly to the German Government. (end)
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