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Amnesty criticizes 'dictators' for silencing protestors in Ferguson
[Iran Press TV] The human rights When they're defined by the state or an NGO they don't mean much... organization dispatched a delegation to Ferguson on Thursday to observe police tactics and protester activity in the wake of the police shooting death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, on August 9. It marks the first time Amnesty USA's executive director Steven W. Hawkins issued a scathing statement on Saturday after Missouri Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency and put a curfew in place in Ferguson following angry protests over the death of 18-year-old Brown. "We criticize dictators for quelling dissent and silencing protestors with tactics like curfews, we'll certainly speak out when it's happening in our own backyard," he said. "The people of Ferguson have the right to protest peacefully the lack of accountability for Michael Brown's shooting." In an interview Sunday afternoon, Jasmine Heiss, a senior campaigner with Amnesty and part of the team in Ferguson, said because of limits police placed on Amnesty's access, "It was very difficult to see anything once the curfew went into effect last night." On Thursday, Amnesty said a "prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigation" into Brown's death must be launched without delay. Posted by: Fred 2014-08-19 |
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