Amnesty International condemns Ivorian authorities' ban on demonstrations

Paris, France (PANA) - Amnesty International (AI) believes that the ban on demonstrations until 15 September, announced by the Ivorian authorities on 19 August, violates the right to peaceful assembly guaranteed by international human rights standards and has called for the release of all those arrested during the demonstrations.

"It seems to be politically motivated to prevent opponents of President Alassane Ouattara's candidacy for a third term from exercising their right to freedom of expression," the international NGO said on Friday in a statement copied to PANA in Paris.

AI called for the release of Pulchérie Edith Gbalet, coordinator of the NGO Alternatives Citoyennes (ACI), arrested on 15 August, as well as her two collaborators Djehi Bi Cyrille and Gbaou Gedeon Junior, and Yao Kouamé, former youth president of the opposition Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire (PDCI) in Bassam.

All these people have been placed under a detention warrant at the Abidjan Arrest and Correction Centre (MACA) and are being prosecuted for offences against public order, participation in an insurrectional movement, undermining state authority, wilful destruction of public property and inciting a crowd.

"By arbitrarily arresting dissenting voices, the authorities improperly restrict freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly.

All persons arbitrarily detained must be released immediately, the human rights watchdog said, adding that the authorities' ban on street demonstrations is yet another attack on dissenting voices.

The freedom to demonstrate peacefully is a right," Amnesty International said. These arrests come as President Ouattara was officially nominated last Wednesday as his party's candidate for the 31 October presidential election.

-0- PANA BM/JSG/BBA/MA 29Aug2020