Incident between 30 October 2014 and 2 November 2014 [+] Print this page
Location: between the Palace and Laico Hotel, Ouagadougou, Centre [+]
Country: Burkina Faso [+]
Violation types: Violations of the right to freedom from torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment [+] Violations of the right to freedom of expression [+] Violations of the right to peaceful assembly [+] Violent repression of peaceful protests [+] excessive use of force [+]
Location
This incident took place in between the Palace and Laico Hotel, Ouagadougou, Centre, Burkina Faso [+]
Description
According to Amnesty International: "During the protests, the gendarmerie (military police), the national army including the Presidential Security Regiment (Régiment de Sécurité Présidentielle, RSP), and the police were deployed. [...] Others who were peacefully marching on 30 October and 2 November were also shot and wounded. In these instances, security forces used excessive force; their actions were not required to protect life nor were they in self-defence. In these cases, based on witness testimony, no warning was given and there was no attempt to use other, less lethal, methods first. [...] Another human rights defender interviewed by Amnesty International delegates stated that soldiers on motorbikes were also shooting at people between the Palace and Laico Hotel, not far from the Presidential palace. [...] In the context of the protests that took place in Burkina Faso between 30 October and 2 November 2014, security forces violated the right to life, the right to freedom from torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment, the right to peaceful assembly, and the right to freedom of expression, among other human rights. The testimonies and evidence gathered by Amnesty International indicate that security forces arbitrarily used lethal force on peaceful protestors, resulting in at least ten deaths and hundreds of injuries." [+]
Sources
| Publication Date | Publisher | Publication Title | Access Date | Archive Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 January 2015 | Amnesty International | "Just what were they thinking when they shot at people?” Crackdown on anti-government protests in Burkina Faso. Index number: AFR 60/001/2015. | 22 February 2019 |