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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, cordially invites you to a webinar on human rights abuses by police officers during enforcement of government responses to COVID-19 in Africa.

 

COVID-19 Human Rights Talks

Tuesday 5 May 2020
Webinar (Zoom)
11:00 – 12.30 SAST / 10:00 – 12.30 WAT / 12.00 – 13.30 EAT


Theme: Police enforcement of State of Emergency directives during COVID-19

Moderator: Prof Frans Viljoen
Director, Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria

Panelists:

  • Marystella Auma Simiyu
    Expression, Information and Digital Rights Unit
  • Michael Nyarko
    Litigation and Implementation Unit
  • Patience Mungwari Mpani
    Women’s Rights Unit
  • Ayodele Sogunro
    Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) Unit

Background

In a bid to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, many governments across the world have invoked their state of emergency powers that has seen the limitation of certain human rights particularly, the right to movement and assembly. This is in line with the recommendation by the World Health Organization (WHO) for countries to adopt social distancing approaches. Consequently, countries have implemented measures such as lockdowns and curfews. The duty of enforcing these state orders has largely fallen on the police and in some cases both the police and the military. However, it is worrying that the enforcement of these directives has crossed into the realm of human rights abuses. Reports of heavy-handed approaches by security forces have left several injuries and deaths in their wake in South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and other countries in Africa. The Centre for Human Rights discusses police brutality in combating COVID-19 in Africa and its human rights implications.


For more information, please contact:

Marystella Auma Simiyu
Tutor: HRDA
Project Officer: Expression, Information and Digital Rights Unit

Tel: +27 (0) 12 420 3180
Fax: +27 (0) 86 580 5743
marystella.simiyu@up.ac.za

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