WE WILL CONTINUE TO RAISE OUR VOICE AGAINST INJUSTICE- AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL RESPONDS TO THREAT TO KILL STAFF, BURN OFFICES IN NIGERIA
Amnesty International has said it will not stop speaking out against injustice despite numerous threats and intimidation.
The human rights organization on Friday made this declaration in response to threats by a group in Nigeria identified as Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights who threatened to kill Amnesty International Staff members and burn its offices if it does not vacate Nigeria in 7 days.
The group accused Amnesty International of amplifying the October 20 incident where men in military uniform shot at peaceful and harmless protesters.
“The protesters might have made the misleading claim of a massacre at Lekki Toll Gate and the lie that 78 people were killed, but it took Amnesty International’s amplification of that lie for the international community and supra-national organizations to wrongly accuse and condemn Nigeria and its government,” the leader of the group Princess Ajibola said in a statement on Wednesday, November 4.
In a statement released on Friday, November 6, Amnesty International reiterated that it will continue to speak out against human rights violations and abuses, including; rape, torture, arbitrary detentions and unlawful killings.
READ ALSO: GROUP WARNS AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL TO LEAVE NIGERIA, THREATENS TO KILL ITS WORKERS AND BURN OFFICES
“Despite threats to our lives, through faceless organizations and sponsored protests, we will not stay silent. In the face of efforts to evade responsibility or to smear our organization, we will continue to raise our voices whenever and wherever we see injustice,” Amnesty International said.
We will continue to call on the Nigerian government to use its authority and resources to investigate all allegations of human rights violations and abuses, including; rape, torture, arbitrary detentions and unlawful killings. #EndSARS #LekkiTollGateShooting
— Amnesty International Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) November 6, 2020
Despite threats to our lives, through faceless organizations and sponsored protests, we will not stay silent. In the face of efforts to evade responsibility or to smear our organization, we will continue to raise our voices whenever and wherever we see injustice. #EndSARS
Read Amnesty International statement below:
Amnesty International draws the attention of the Nigerian authorities and the general public to the intimidation and outright threats of attacks that were issued against its staff, supporters, and premises by a faceless and unknown group at a press conference held on 4 November 2020. Similar faceless groups had previously invaded our office and given us ultimatum to leave Nigeria.
Amnesty International is a global human rights movement and we are independent of any government. Our mandate is to hold authorities to account for their human right obligations and commitments. This we have consistently done since June 1967 when we first started working in and on Nigeria.
Every person whose rights are violated is entitled to an effective remedy. Exposing human rights violations and seeking redress for them are largely dependent on the degree of security enjoyed by civil society groups like Amnesty International.
The Nigerian authorities owe a legal duty to ensure the protection of lives and properties of every person in the country. Malicious threats will not deter us from continuing to speak against human rights violations and abuses by state and non-state actors.
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