West mutes domestic activists while advocating for rights internationally – report
Authorities in developed nations are implementing stringent measures against activists while denouncing comparable tactics in the Global South. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Democratic governments are suppressing protests domestically while advocating for human rights internationally, according to Climate Rights International.
A report by the organization reveals that wealthy democratic nations are employing severe tactics against climate activists, while simultaneously criticizing similar actions taken by governments in the Global South.
The report underscores the increasingly “heavy-handed treatment” of eco activists in countries such as Australia, Germany, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, the UK, and the US, pointing out that authorities in these nations are breaching their legal obligations to uphold fundamental human rights.
The study indicates that the drastic measures adopted by these typically democratic governments include lengthy prison sentences, preventive detention, and online and media intimidation and harassment.
Titled “On Thin Ice: Disproportionate Responses to Climate Change Protesters in Democratic Countries,” the 70-page report also notes the irony of these nations condemning governments in developing countries for failing to uphold the right to peaceful protest.
“Governments too often take such a strong and principled view about the right to peaceful protest in other countries – but when they don’t like certain kinds of protests at home they pass laws and deploy the police to stop them,” stated Brad Adams, executive director of Climate Rights International, in comments to The Guardian.
Judicial systems in several countries, including the UK, Germany, and the US, are reportedly imposing “record-breaking” sentences for “non-violent protest.” The report highlights that some national and state governments are preemptively arresting and detaining individuals suspected of planning demonstrations.
Additionally, Western governments are enacting new legislation that criminalizes the majority of protests and increases penalties for demonstrators, the report observed.
Researchers have accused Western authorities of undermining the right to a fair trial by taking legal measures that prevent juries from considering individuals' motives for participating in protests during court sessions.
An example cited in the report includes a UK case from July, where five Just Stop Oil protesters were convicted of conspiracy to cause public nuisance for blocking a highway. They received the longest sentences ever recorded for a nonviolent protest, with one member facing five years in prison, while the others were each sentenced to four years.
Frederick R Cook contributed to this report for TROIB News
A report by the organization reveals that wealthy democratic nations are employing severe tactics against climate activists, while simultaneously criticizing similar actions taken by governments in the Global South.
The report underscores the increasingly “heavy-handed treatment” of eco activists in countries such as Australia, Germany, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, the UK, and the US, pointing out that authorities in these nations are breaching their legal obligations to uphold fundamental human rights.
The study indicates that the drastic measures adopted by these typically democratic governments include lengthy prison sentences, preventive detention, and online and media intimidation and harassment.
Titled “On Thin Ice: Disproportionate Responses to Climate Change Protesters in Democratic Countries,” the 70-page report also notes the irony of these nations condemning governments in developing countries for failing to uphold the right to peaceful protest.
“Governments too often take such a strong and principled view about the right to peaceful protest in other countries – but when they don’t like certain kinds of protests at home they pass laws and deploy the police to stop them,” stated Brad Adams, executive director of Climate Rights International, in comments to The Guardian.
Judicial systems in several countries, including the UK, Germany, and the US, are reportedly imposing “record-breaking” sentences for “non-violent protest.” The report highlights that some national and state governments are preemptively arresting and detaining individuals suspected of planning demonstrations.
Additionally, Western governments are enacting new legislation that criminalizes the majority of protests and increases penalties for demonstrators, the report observed.
Researchers have accused Western authorities of undermining the right to a fair trial by taking legal measures that prevent juries from considering individuals' motives for participating in protests during court sessions.
An example cited in the report includes a UK case from July, where five Just Stop Oil protesters were convicted of conspiracy to cause public nuisance for blocking a highway. They received the longest sentences ever recorded for a nonviolent protest, with one member facing five years in prison, while the others were each sentenced to four years.
Frederick R Cook contributed to this report for TROIB News
