Prominent human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has disclosed that a total of 2,111 protesters were arrested during the 10-day #EndBadGovernance demonstrations across Nigeria, which took place from August 1st to 10th.
In a recent statement titled "Halt the Clampdown on Protesters," Falana revealed that 1,403 of these individuals have already been arraigned in various courts and are currently in prison custody due to the lack of legal representation. He criticized the government’s handling of the situation and called for immediate legal support for the detainees.
"The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has publicly committed to providing legal defense for these suspects," Falana said. He emphasized that the suspects must be given adequate notice of their arraignment to enable them to contact the NBA and their families to arrange legal representation.
Falana also highlighted the arrest of seven Polish students in Kano, who were detained for taking photographs during the protests. He expressed concern that they could be charged with espionage, potentially framing the protests as being influenced by foreign entities.
Additionally, Falana provided a breakdown of arrests across various states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. He questioned the legality of charging 783 suspects in Kano, who were allegedly detained for displaying the Russian flag during the protests. He argued that this act should not be criminalized, noting that flags of other nations are commonly displayed by hotels and churches across Nigeria.
Falana condemned the denial of legal representation to the suspects, calling it a blatant violation of their fundamental right to a fair hearing, as guaranteed by Section 36 of the Nigerian Constitution and Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. He urged the government to promptly charge the protesters to court and ensure they receive a fair trial.
No comments:
Post a Comment