New Delhi: The United Nations human rights office on Saturday expressed concern over reports of mass detentions in India during demonstrations in Delhi, calling on authorities to respect the right to peaceful assembly and release anyone held arbitrarily.
In a statement attributed to UN Human Rights Spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan, the organisation said demonstrators, protest leaders, civil society members, lawyers and journalists had reportedly been detained before and during large-scale protests in the national capital.
The UN urged Indian authorities to ensure that the right to peaceful assembly was fully respected, adding that any restrictions on peaceful demonstrations must meet strict tests of necessity and proportionality.
It also called on law enforcement agencies to exercise the utmost restraint when dealing with peaceful protesters, in line with India’s democratic traditions and international human rights obligations.
“All those arbitrarily detained must be immediately and unconditionally released,” the statement said.
The UN also urged the authorities to engage in meaningful dialogue to address the concerns raised by protesters.
