UN human rights advocate calls for state to scrap anti-protest laws

A SENIOR UN human rights advocate has called on the State Government to rescind its anti-protest laws.

Five protesters were arrested at Lapoinya earlier this year under the State Government’s anti-protest laws but the charges were later dropped. Picture: DALE CUMMING

A SENIOR UN human rights advocate has called on the State Government to rescind its anti-protest laws.

Michel Forst, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, visited Hobart earlier this month as part of a national tour.

“From my discussions with the Tasmanian Government, it has become clear that the Government had prioritised business and government resource interests over the democratic rights of individuals to peacefully protest,” he said.

“I reminded the Government that human rights defenders have a legitimate right to promote and protect all human rights, including the right to a healthy environment, regardless of whether their peaceful activities are seen by some as frustrating development projects.

“I therefore recommend that the laws criminalising peaceful protests are urgently reviewed and rescinded.”

Mr Forst said he had met with people charged under the law and said he could discern “a sense of bewilderment and indignation” at the law’s “arbitrariness and unfairness”.

“I am concerned about the implementation of the law, and its impact on the exercise of the freedom to peaceful assembly by environmental and indigenous activists, trying to raise awareness of key environmental and land rights issues,” he said.

The law, which carries hefty fines and jail, was introduced as part of the Liberals’ pro-forestry election platform to suppress environmental protests. Since the law’s introduction in 2014, no one has been convicted.

Former Tasmanian Greens leader Bob Brown is challenging the laws in the High Court and charges against five people arrested during anti-logging protest in the Lapoinya State Forest in January have been dropped.

Dr Bob Brown was one of the protesters arrested at Lapoinya and is challenging the laws in the High Court.

Dr Brown said Mr Forst’s report underlined the need to overturn the laws.

‘This is a timely reminder, after the fiasco of the charges laid under these laws at Lapoinya forest earlier this year having to be dropped, that the laws are not only unworkable, they are an affront to best global practice,” Dr Brown said.

“Criminalising peaceful protesters is simply wrong. Mr Forst’s appeal deserves to be heard and to be heeded.”

Comment is being sought from the State Government.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders is an independent human rights expert that is appointed by the UN Human Rights Council.

Originally published as UN human rights advocate calls for state to scrap anti-protest laws