The recently imposed prison sentences against climate activists in Vienna are not only causing outrage among their fellow activists. The human rights organization Amnesty International is also concerned.
In a broadcast on Friday, the NGO referred to the “strongly growing tendency of politics and government to criminalize activists and thus prevent a certain form of protest.” Peaceful protest falls under the freedom of assembly, Amnesty criticized.
Amnesty insists on freedom of assembly
Freedom of assembly is a human right that Austria is committed to, emphasizes expert Charlotte Deiss. She stressed that this would also include actions in the tradition of civil disobedience – “even if politicians, authorities and some people in the public don’t like to hear it.”
In recent days, the climate protection movement ‘Last Generation’ announced that primary prison sentences had been imposed on activists in Vienna. Prison sentences are imposed directly instead of fines – without prior judicial proceedings. Amnesty International “fundamentally rejects such administrative detention as it risks circumventing fair and constitutional judicial processes,” the report said.
“Protest must disrupt”
“The fact that the Ministry of the Interior proudly announces in a broadcast the high number of arrests of climate activists and emphasizes that such actions will remain prohibited and will be ended as soon as possible and that administrative fines will be imposed, fuels the public perception that demonstrators should be seen as criminals, should be treated,” says Deiss. “Protest can disrupt, sometimes it even has to.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
