Geneva: The United Nations Human Rights today stated it was disturbed by the reports of a large number of people arrested in Russia for protesting after the authorities announced a partial mobilization of troops in the context of the armed conflict in Ukraine.
As of September 26, 2022, “according to credible reports”, some 2,377 demonstrators had been arrested since last Wednesday in various locations across the country. It is unclear how many people remain in detention, Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ravina Shamdasani, said here today.
In the Russian region of Dagestan, protests continued for a second day on Monday, September 26, with hundreds of people taking to the streets of the capital, Makhachkala, where clashes erupted between demonstrators and the police. Dozens of people were reported to have been arrested.
While the majority of the protests are reported to have been peaceful, military and administrative buildings, including enlistment offices, have been attacked in several regions, the UN Human Rights stated.
“We stress that arresting people solely for exercising their rights of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression constitutes an arbitrary deprivation of liberty. We call for the immediate release of all those arbitrarily detained and for the authorities to abide by their international obligations to respect and ensure the rights to freedom of expression and of peaceful assembly. We also urge people to protest peacefully and avoid resorting to violence,” Shamdasani said.
Photo source: UN Human Rights
– global bihari bureau
