“Judiciary has become a tool to repress those who don’t have a voice”, says UN rapporteur

Watch the full interview with Clément Voule, UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

On 17 July, the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice condemned, an entire group of 20 protestors to seven years in prison and a further three minors, to five years and ten months. The 23 activists participated in protests in 2013 and 2014. They are accused of organised crime, corruption of minors, criminal damage, resistance, bodily harm and possession of explosives.

In response, civil society organisations sent a message to the UN Rapporteur on the right to freedom to peaceful assembly and association stressing that the accusations against the protestors “configure and attempt to criminalise the right to protest.”

In the same week as the condemnation, during an academic visit to Brazil, Clément Voule, gave an interview to Conectas. As he was unable to speak specifically about the case in Brazil, as his job does not permit this on trips that are not officially for the UN, the specialist spoke about how he assesses the criminalisation of protests around the world and the role of the judiciary in ensuring or omitting this right.

Watch here: