Amnesty International calls on states to implement African Commission’s groundbreaking guidelines on policing assemblies

Amnesty International welcomes the powerful standards and practices set out in the Guidelines on Policing Assemblies adopted by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

The Guidelines underline, among other things, that peaceful assembly not a privilege but a right which police should facilitate; that any use of force by police should be an exceptional measure and that firearms are not an appropriate tool for policing assemblies; that in general the military should not be used for this task; and that police, including commanders, should be held accountable for human rights violations committed in policing assemblies. Amnesty calls on African states to fully implement the Guidelines, which should also be taken note of by relevant authorities worldwide.