[JURIST] Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy website] on Tuesday urged [press release] the Taiwanese authorities to “drop criminal charges against people solely for participating in or organizing peaceful demonstrations … after more than 100 people were charged for protesting during the so called “Sunflower Movement.” AI claims that while the students and activists involved in the movement are being charged, the “police and politicians who may have carried out human rights abuses … get away without any … investigation.” They assert that it is a fundamental right to be able to demonstrate peacefully, and that “the peaceful intention of organizers … must be presumed unless there is compelling … evidence that [they] intend to use, advocate or incite imminent violence.” According to AI, these actions on behalf of the authorities, in line with the Parade and Assembly Act [text], are in violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights [text PDF], formally adopted by Taiwan in 2009.

Taiwan is not the only country to face issues concerning the treatment of protesters within its borders. Earlier this month an Egyptian court sentenced 230 protesters to life in prison, finding them guilty of taking part in violent clashes between protesters and security forces in Cairo in December 2011. In October Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] criticized [JURIST report] the lack of action taken by the Thai government to bring police and military personnel responsible for the deaths of protesters in Tak Bai in 2004 to justice. In August the Ukrainian government urged the International Criminal Court [official website] to open an investigation [JURIST report] into protester deaths in 2013 and 2014.