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OHCHR / LEBANON VIOLENCE REAX
STORY: OHCHR / LEBANON VIOLENCE REAX
TRT: 2:02
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH /NATS
DATELINE: 1 MAY 2020 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
FILE
1. Aerial shot, Palais Wilson
1 MAY 2020 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rupert Colville, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“We are deeply concerned by the renewed violence that has erupted in Lebanon this week, claiming the life of one protester and leaving dozens of other civilians and law enforcement officers injured, as well as causing significant damage and destruction to public and private property. We call on everyone to exercise utmost restraint, to refrain from violence against other people, and to respect property. We remind law enforcement officers that they have an obligation to abide by international norms and standards on the use of force, particularly the principles of legality, necessity and proportionality. And we also urge demonstrators not to resort to violence, and stress that the right to peaceful assembly protects non-violent gatherings, its peaceful assembly not violent assembly.”
FILE
3. Aerial shot, Palais Wilson
1 MAY 2020 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rupert Colville, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“On 26 April, a protester who was hit -- reportedly by a rubber bullet -- died of his injuries. We have also received reports that at least 77 civilians were injured between 26 and 30 April. And the Lebanese Armed Forces reported that at least 159 of its personnel have been hurt, of whom 15 are in a critical condition. These casualty figures underline the alarming intensity of the violence that has been taking place.”
FILE
5. Aerial shot, Palais Wilson
1 MAY 2020 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Rupert Colville, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“We welcome the announcement of investigations by the competent authorities into these incidents. Because victims and their families have the right to justice and to the truth about what happened. While certain measures such as physical distancing may be warranted in a bid to contain COVID-19, we remind the authorities that people do have the right to participate in public affairs, one way or another and they do have a right to raise concerns that shape decisions that affect their lives.”
FILE
7. Aerial shot, Palais Wilson
The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) said it is “deeply concerned by the renewed violence that has erupted in Lebanon this week, claiming the life of one protester and leaving dozens of other civilians and law enforcement officers injured.”
After a relative lull in the six-month old demonstrations, due to the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic, protests against the country’s rapidly worsening economic crisis resumed this week. Some of those protests quickly turned violent.
Briefing journalists on Friday (1 May) in Geneva, Rupert Colville, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated: “We call on everyone to exercise utmost restraint, to refrain from violence against other people, and to respect property. We remind law enforcement officers that they have an obligation to abide by international norms and standards on the use of force, particularly the principles of legality, necessity and proportionality. And we also urge demonstrators not to resort to violence, and stress that the right to peaceful assembly protects non-violent gatherings, its peaceful assembly not violent assembly.”
According to the OHCHR, on 26 April, a protester who was hit -- reportedly by a rubber bullet -- died of his injuries. At least 77 civilians were injured between 26 and 30 April. And the Lebanese Armed Forces reported that at least 159 of its personnel have been hurt, of whom 15 are in a critical condition.
“These casualty figures underline the alarming intensity of the violence that has been taking place,” said Colville.
OHCHR spokesperson said “We welcome the announcement of investigations by the competent authorities into these incidents. Because victims and their families have the right to justice and to the truth about what happened. While certain measures such as physical distancing may be warranted in a bid to contain COVID-19, we remind the authorities that people do have the right to participate in public affairs, one way or another and they do have a right to raise concerns that shape decisions that affect their lives.”
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