Nicaragua denied in August, a huge number of NGOs. Georgia enacted a law in the spring of organizations that “advance the interests of foreign powers”. Five animal rebels in Britain sentenced to years in prisonwhen they protested by blocking the highway.
Citizen activism is in growing difficulties around the world, including in Europe.
The human rights organization Amnesty says in his July reportthat freedom of assembly is severely attacked in several European countries. Already five years ago, Amnesty and the EU warned that the activities of non-governmental organizations would be made more difficult.
Many followed Russia’s example
Nicaragua announced last weekthat it bans 1,500 NGOs. In two years, a total of more than 5,000 organizations have been banned in the country; organizations, media and private universities. Their assets have been confiscated.
Representative of the UN Human Rights Office Liz Throssell states to the news agency Reuters that the bans make the defense of human rights a left-wing reality Daniel Ortega leading to increasingly difficult times in Nicaragua. They are also apt to increase self-censorship.
However, Nicaragua is just one of the bad examples.
Also Nicolas Maduro led by Venezuela plans restrictions to the organizations that the speaker of the parliament Jorge Rodriguez has called it a facade for “financing terrorist activities”. Maduro was recently declared the winner of the disputed presidential election, and the left-wing president has been cracking down on the opposition.
Activities of organizations in Latin America plans to limit also Peru. But there are even closer examples.
in Georgia Parliament accepted despite the opposition of the president and protesters, in June, a law requiring organizations with foreign funding to register as promoters of foreign interests was passed. Also Kyrgyzstan weather in spring corresponding law.
The law has also been called the Russia law, because in Russia such organizations have long been labeled as foreign agents.
in Hungary a corresponding law was enacted already in 2017, but the European Court of Justice insisted on overturning it. Now a similar law is being planned in another EU country, Slovakia.
Amnesty published already in 2019 a report in which it claimed that attacks against non-governmental organizations were already at a crisis level. According to Amnesty, within a couple of years, around 50 countries around the world had restricted or were planning to restrict the activities of organizations.
According to Amnesty, restrictive laws had also been enacted by many countries considered to be an open society. For example, Ireland restricts foreign funding and Australia in an unreasonable way in Amnesty’s opinion freedom of association.
Also In 2019, the EU published a reportin which it stated that the activities of organizations focusing on human rights in particular have been hampered in some EU countries.
Civil disobedience in the line of fire in Europe
Citizens’ freedom to express their opinions is also tried to be suppressed by interfering with demonstrations.
Amnesty the July report according to European states stigmatize and criminalize peaceful demonstrators and limit demonstrations without grounds.
States are increasingly reacting harshly to peaceful civil disobedience, even though it falls under the protection of freedom of assembly.
Climate protests and demonstrations in support of the Palestinians have been treated harshest in Europe, says Amnesty’s expert Anu Tuukkanen Yelle in a phone interview.
Demonstrations are restricted not only by laws but also by other means.
– For example, the unjustified interruption and termination of demonstrations, the use of force by the police, the use of coercive measures and preliminary arrests, house searches, supervision and monitoring, Tuukkanen enumerates.
Already in the winter, the UN expressed its concern that several European countries are trying to suppress peaceful climate protests and criminalize demonstrators.
In many countries, such as Britain, Italy and Germany, new laws have been enacted that prohibit protests such as sit-ins. The charges have increased and become more severe, the UN said.
The Finnish law is good, an interpretation is sought
In Finland, freedom of assembly could be implemented quite well within the framework of the law, says Tuukkanen. Interpretation of the law is another matter.
In Finland, too, it has been seen that demonstrations involving peaceful civil disobedience are sometimes dealt with more forcefully by the authorities, says Tuukkanen.
In part, this may be due to the fact that civil disobedience has been seen as a relatively new thing.
– It seems that, for example, the police authorities are looking for a line. There is almost no binding jurisprudence on how, for example, the powers of the police would be limited in these situations.
Of course, Finland is not immune to trends that restrict civil liberties, Tuukkanen states.
– The stigmatization of activists is quite strong. Politicians also demand various restrictions and prohibitions from time to time without taking into account the fundamental rights starting point and what international norms say about freedom of assembly.