Amnesty urges Burkina Faso investigation of excessive military force News
Amnesty urges Burkina Faso investigation of excessive military force

[JURIST] Authorities in Burkina Faso must investigate [press release] the use of excessive force by the military against peaceful anti-government protesters last year, Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy website] urged in a report [text, PDF] issued Thursday. The report investigated the force used by the presidential guard known as Regiment de Securite Presidentielle (RSP) and the military during the protests in Ouagadougou and other cities between October 30 and November 2 last year, which erupted when President Blaise Compaore [BBC profile] made efforts to amend Article 37 of the Constitution [text] to remove presidential term limits, extending his 27-year reign. The protesters were largely peaceful, many marching with their hands up to show they were not armed, when the military and RSP opened fire. AI found that 33 people died during the protests, including 10 shot dead with little or no warning, and hundreds were injured. Gaetan Mootoo, AI’s researcher for West Africa, condemned the attack and called for Burkina Faso authorities to investigate:

As part of the process of turning over a new leaf in Burkina Faso’s history, the transitional authorities must ensure these serious human rights violations are independently and impartially investigated. All those suspected of killing and injuring protesters must be held to account.Urgent action must be taken to guarantee all victims and their families receive truth, justice and reparation.

Authorities have struggled internationally with allegations of police brutality, especially against peaceful protesters. In November the UN Committee Against Torture urged the US [JURIST report] to investigate police brutality, particularly excessive use of force against racial minorities. In September a Pakistan court ordered a probe [JURIST report] of the prime minister and cabinet members for killings of protesters on August 31 in Islamabad’s Red Zone. Also in September the US Department of Justice released a report [JURIST report] detailing recommendations and warnings regarding the use of body-worn cameras by police. In August five people brought a lawsuit [JURIST report] against the city of Ferguson, Missouri, and several officials for the use of unnecessary and unwarranted force by St. Louis County Police and Ferguson Police against demonstrators protesting the shooting death of Michael Brown. Earlier that month Human Rights Watch called on the Mexican government [JURIST report] to fully investigate the killing of 22 civilians by soldiers on June 30, following an alleged confrontation inside an empty warehouse in the municipality of Tlatlaya.

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