Thread by @SERAPNigeria

SERAP has sent an open letter to all member & observer states of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva,urging them to urgently convene a special session on Nigeria over arbitrary arrests & repression by officers of the Nigeria Police Force ...
@UNHumanRights

...and other security forces of ‘RevolutionNow’ protesters, organizers, activists, and journalists who covered the protests on Monday across the country.

SERAP raises concern over suppression of freedom of expression, attacks on journalists, bloggers, and human rights defenders by several state governments, as well as the intimidation and harassment of Amnesty International in Nigeria,...

...including by a group of apparently paid protesters that continues to besiege the organization’s office in Abuja, preventing it from carrying out its activities, and giving the organization ultimatum to leave Nigeria.

There are serious violations of the rights of Nigerians to liberty, personal security, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, association, and media freedom and a Special Session is urgently needed to help stem the attack on human rights ...
@UNHumanRights

...and contribute to UN efforts to prevent further abuses including arbitrary detention and excessive use of force.

The human rights situation in the country has drastically deteriorated, with the authorities at the Federal and State levels violating human rights and refusing to obey court judgments.
@UNHumanRights

The Human Rights Council should heed the rising chorus of concerns by Nigerians, journalists, human rights defenders, activists, and lawyers, and urgently convene a Special Session on the growing human rights crisis in the country.

Consistent with its mandate to prevent human rights violations and respond promptly to human rights emergencies, the Human Rights Council should address the rapidly deteriorating human rights situation in several states of Nigeria as a matter of priority.

The Human Rights Council cannot ignore persistent attacks on human rights and disregard for the rule of law in Nigeria.

If the Human Rights Council does not assume its responsibility and give voice to the victims, it would exacerbate the impunity of perpetrators and continue to fuel further abuses.

At the Special Session, the Council should adopt a resolution that urges the Nigerian authorities at the Federal and State levels to respect the peoples’ rights to freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly, and association....
@UNHumanRights

... as guaranteed in UN human rights treaties ratified by Nigeria and to refrain from using excessive force to disperse protesters and against journalists.

The Council should urge the Nigerian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all those arbitrarily detained in connection with the ‘RevolutionNow’ protests across Nigeria simply for exercising their human rights to protest and freedom of expression.

The Council should express its deep concern about the rapidly deteriorating human rights situation in Nigeria & the impact of the crisis on Nigerian people, as well as about the targeted attacks on peaceful protesters, human rights defenders, journalists, and @AmnestyNigeria

The Council should condemn in the strongest possible terms the attacks on ‘RevolutionNow’ protesters, journalists, and bloggers by the Nigerian authorities at both Federal and State levels, as well as the ongoing impunity enjoyed by perpetrators.

The Council should demand that the Nigerian authorities at both the Federal and State levels end these violations and abuses as a matter of critical and urgent priority, including by immediately halting repression of real or suspected opponents and critics,...

... and by conducting thorough, impartial and independent investigations with a view to bringing those responsible to justice and providing victims with redress.

The Council should call on the Nigerian authorities at both the Federal and State levels to fully cooperate with the UN Special Rapporteurs, including by allowing them free access to the country to investigate all allegations of human rights violations ...

....against protesters, journalists, bloggers and other Nigerians.

The Council should request the High Commissioner for Human Rights to report to the Human Rights Council on the human rights situation in Nigeria, and to regularly brief the Human Rights Council on developments.