Poland: UN experts condemn measures

Poland: UN experts condemn measures to stop human rights defenders join climate talks

GENEVA (13 December 2018) - UN human rights experts* have expressed concerns at reports that several human rights defenders have been harassed, arbitrarily detained and questioned for several hours by the Polish authorities at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24) in Katowice.

The experts said some participants who had been officially accredited to attend the event from 2 to 14 December had been denied entry to the country or prevented from travelling to Katowice.

“We are dismayed at the actions taken by the authorities to prevent free and unfettered public participation in these critical multilateral discussions,” the experts said.

UN experts have previously raised their concerns with the Polish authorities about free and full participation, specifically the promulgation of a new safety and security law which was drafted for the conference and which they said could hamper civil society’s involvement.

“We reiterate our call to the Polish Government to immediately ensure full and effective participation and access to COP24 to all civil society representatives, and to enable all human rights defenders to gather and exercise their rights to freedom of expression and opinion, association and peaceful assembly.”
ENDS

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