Abstract
Given the importance of public gatherings for functioning democracies and their power to trigger far-reaching change processes in the political sphere, the right to freedom of peaceful assembly is particularly prone to infringements. The provisions concerning this human right, which are enshrined in various binding international and regional human rights treaties, have been construed and underpinned by a significant body of case law and additional standard-setting documents, thus further defining the scope of protection of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly.
However, especially in light of the dynamics of public gatherings as, for example, large-scale political manifestations, it remains crucial to transfer the relevant human rights standards to appropriate crowd management measures. This is where the police come in. Their role and function are twofold: respecting and protecting the right to freedom of peaceful assembly are key features of police professionalism. In order to accomplish this, the police should take into consideration a broad range of interrelated influential factors.
This chapter examines selected elements of case law and other standard-setting documents pertaining to the right to freedom of peaceful assembly with particular relevance for the police, before approaching the question of how to implement the requirements emerging from the regulatory framework by exploring good practices in policing public assemblies, thus linking the theoretical with the practical perspective. It concludes that in light of ever-changing sociopolitical conditions, police services have to cope with adapting their strategies and tactics to new developments.
Kai Siegert is a policy officer at the Brandenburg Ministry of Interior.
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Notes
- 1.
- 2.
Adopted by UN General Assembly resolution 217 A of 10 December 1948.
- 3.
Adopted by UN General Assembly resolution 2200 A (XXI) of 16 December 1966, entry into force on 23 March 1976.
- 4.
UNOHCHR (2016).
- 5.
See n 3.
- 6.
See n 4.
- 7.
Adopted by UN General Assembly resolution 2200 A (XXI) of 16 December 1966, entry into force on 3 January 1976.
- 8.
Adopted by UN General Assembly resolution 2106 (XX) of 21 December 1965, entry into force on 4 January 1969.
- 9.
Adopted by UN General Assembly resolution 44/25 of 20 November 1989, entry into force on 2 September 1990.
- 10.
Adopted by Council of Europe member states on 4 November 1950, entry into force on 3 September 1953.
- 11.
Adopted at the Inter-American Specialized Conference on Human Rights on 22 November 1969, entry into force on 18 July 1978.
- 12.
Adopted by Organization of African Unity member states on 27 June 1981, entry into force on 21 October 1986.
- 13.
UN Human Rights Council resolution 22/10 of 21 March 2013.
- 14.
UN Human Rights Council report 31/66 of 4 February 2016. The post of the Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association was established by UN Human Rights Council resolution 15/21 of 6 October 2010.
- 15.
For an overview of international and regional standard setting documents see UNOHCHR (2016).
- 16.
See Oya Ataman v Turkey, App. no. 74552/01, ECHR 2006-XIV, para. 42.
- 17.
See Plattform ‘Ärzte für das Leben’ v Austria, App. no. 10126/82, 1988 Series A no. 139, para. 32; Djavit An v Turkey, App. no. 20652/92, ECHR 2003-III, para. 57.
- 18.
UNHRC (2016) para. 10.
- 19.
UNHRC (2016) para. 11.
- 20.
OSCE (2012) para. 16.
- 21.
- 22.
Harris et al. (2014) p. 711 with respective examples from Strasbourg case law.
- 23.
OSCE (2012) para. 17.
- 24.
Ibid para. 23.
- 25.
Ibid para. 18.
- 26.
Stankov and the United Macedonian Organisation Illinden v Bulgaria, App. no. 29221/95 and 29225/95, ECHR 2001-IX, paras. 78, 85-90; Cisse v France, App. no. 51346/99, ECHR 2002-III, para. 37; Schwabe and MG v Germany, App. no. 8080/08, 8577/08, ECHR 2011, para. 105. See also Heringa and van Hoof (2006), pp. 821–823; OSCE (2012) paras. 25–28; UNHRC (2016) para. 18.
- 27.
Christian Democratic People’s Party v Moldova, App. no. 25196/04 (no. 2), judgment of 2 February 2010, para. 23.
- 28.
Ezelin v France, App. no. 11800/85, 1991 Series A no. 202, para. 53. See also UNHRC (2016), para. 20.
- 29.
Christians against Racism and Facism v UK, App. no. 8440/78, DR 21 (1981) pp. 138, 148; Plattform ‘Ärzte für das Leben’ v Austria, App. no. 10126/82, 1988 Series A no. 139, para. 32; Alekseyev v Russia, App. no. 4916/07, 25924/08, 14599/09, judgment of 21 October 2010, para. 80; Reid (2011), p. 444.
- 30.
G v Germany, App. no. 13079/87, DR 60 (1989), admissibility decision of 6 March 1989, p. 256; Cisse v France, App. no. 51346/99, ECHR 2002-III, para. 37.
- 31.
See Garaudy v France, App. no. 65831/01, admissibility decision of 24 June 2003, ECHR 2003-IX.
- 32.
See Jacobs et al. (2014), p. 123.
- 33.
- 34.
Geneva Academy (2014), p. 13. See also UNHRC (2016) para 14.
- 35.
Plattform ‘Ärzte für das Leben’ v Austria, App. no. 10126/82, 1988 Series A no. 139, para. 32; United Macedonian Organisation Illinden and Ivanov v Bulgaria, App. no. 44079/98, judgment of 20 October 2005, para. 115; Barankevich v Russia, App. no. 10519/03, judgment of 26 July 2007, paras. 32-33; Alekseyev v Russia, App. no. 4916/07, 25924/08, 14599/09, judgment of 21 October 2010, para. 76.
- 36.
Plattform ‘Ärzte für das Leben’ v Austria, App. no. 10126/82, 1988 Series A no. 139, paras. 34–36; Mowbray (2011), pp. 749–750.
- 37.
Appleby and Others v United Kingdom, App. no. 44306/98, judgment of 6 May 2003, ECHR 2003-VI, para. 47.
- 38.
Ibid para. 52. See also OSCE (2012) para. 23.
- 39.
- 40.
Cf. Balcik and Others v Turkey, App. no. 25/02, judgment of 29 November 2007, para. 48.
- 41.
Rassemblement jurassien v Switzerland, Commission decision of 10 October 1978, DR 17, 119; Oya Ataman v Turkey, App. no. 74552/01, ECHR 2006-XIV, paras. 38-39; Kuznetsov v Russia, App. no. 10877/04, judgment of 23 October 2008, para. 42. See also Harris et al. (2014), p. 714; Arndt and Engels (2015), p. 343; Geneva Academy (2014), p. 16.
- 42.
- 43.
UNHRC (2016) paras. 21–22.
- 44.
Cf. Kuznetsov v Russia, App. no. 10877/04, judgment of 23 October 2008, para. 37; Jacobs et al. (2014), p. 309.
- 45.
Nowak (2005), p. 488.
- 46.
Djavit An v Turkey, App. no. 20652/92, ECHR 2003-III, para. 56.
- 47.
- 48.
Oya Ataman v Turkey, App. no. 74552/01, ECHR 2006-XIV, para. 36.
- 49.
OSCE (2012) para. 30.
- 50.
- 51.
Jacobs et al. (2014), p. 316.
- 52.
Republican Party of Russia v Russia, App. no. 12976/07, judgment of 12 April 2011, para. 101.
- 53.
- 54.
Adopted at the 1005th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies of the Council of Europe on 26 September 2007.
- 55.
Jacobs et al. (2014), p. 317.
- 56.
OSCE (2012) para. 74.
- 57.
Jacobs et al. (2014), p. 319.
- 58.
Republican Party of Russia v Russia, App. no. 12976/07, judgment of 12 April 2011, para. 101.
- 59.
See van der Heijden v The Netherlands, App. no. 42857/05, judgment of 3 April 2012 [GC], para. 54.
- 60.
OSCE (2012) para. 72.
- 61.
G v Germany, App. no. 13079/87, DR 60 (1989), admissibility decision of 6 March 1989, p. 256.
- 62.
Jacobs et al. (2014), p. 325.
- 63.
Oya Ataman v Turkey, App. no. 74552/01, ECHR 2006-XIV, para. 38.
- 64.
OSCE (2012) para. 80.
- 65.
Harris et al. (2014), p. 716.
- 66.
Stankov and the United Macedonian Organisation Illinden v Bulgaria, App. no. 29221/95 and 29225/95, ECHR 2001-IX, para 97.
- 67.
Ibid.
- 68.
Oya Ataman v Turkey, App. no. 74552/01, ECHR 2006-XIV, para. 42. See also UNHRC (2016) para. 23.
- 69.
Oya Ataman v Turkey, App. no. 74552/01, ECHR 2006-XIV, paras. 42-44; Izci v Turkey, App. no. 42606/05, judgment of 23 July 2013, para. 90.
- 70.
Rai and Evans v UK, App. no. 26258/07, 26255/07, admissibility decision of 17 November 2009.
- 71.
Bukta and Others v Hungary, App. no. 25691/04, ECHR 2007-III, para. 32. See also UNHRC (2016) para. 23.
- 72.
Harris et al. (2014), p. 720.
- 73.
Bukta and Others v Hungary, App. no. 25691/04, ECHR 2007-III, paras. 31-39; Molnar v Hungar, App. no. 10346/05, judgment of 7 October 2008, paras. 40–43.
- 74.
Bukta and Others v Hungary, App. no. 25691/04, ECHR 2007-III, para. 36.
- 75.
See OSCE (2012) para. 60.
- 76.
- 77.
- 78.
- 79.
Polisen (2013a), p. 10.
- 80.
UNICRI (n.d.) EU–SEC.
- 81.
Ibid.
- 82.
UNICRI (n.d.) The House.
- 83.
Council of the European Union, 14143/07 REV 3, 6 December 2007.
- 84.
Polisen (2013b).
- 85.
Neyroud and Beckley (2004), p. 78.
- 86.
Cf. Council of the European Union (2007), p. 14.
- 87.
Cf. Crawshaw et al. (2007), pp. 356–359.
- 88.
Ibid p. 681.
- 89.
Ibid p. 26.
- 90.
- 91.
Ibid.
- 92.
Polisen (2013a), p. 42.
- 93.
- 94.
- 95.
Geneva Academy (2014), p. 13.
- 96.
- 97.
Polisen (2013a), pp. 37–38.
- 98.
- 99.
- 100.
- 101.
- 102.
- 103.
Polisen (2013b), pp. 36–37.
- 104.
See Sect. 11.2.2.
- 105.
OSCE (2012) para. 162.
- 106.
Polisen (2013b) pp. 36–37.
- 107.
See AI (2013), p. 26.
- 108.
- 109.
- 110.
- 111.
Cf. Austin v United Kingdom, App. no. 39692/09, ECHR 2012, paras. 67–68. This application did not include a complaint under Article 11 of the ECHR but focused on Article 5.
- 112.
- 113.
Cf. AI (2013), pp. 10 and 20.
- 114.
- 115.
- 116.
Cf. McCann and Others v United Kingdom, App. no. 18984/91, judgment of 27 September 1995, para. 194.
- 117.
- 118.
- 119.
Adopted by the Eight UN Congress on the Prevention of Crime and Torture of Offenders, Havana, Cuba, 27 August to 9 September 1990.
- 120.
- 121.
- 122.
UNHRC (2013) para. 59.
- 123.
See also Sect. 11.3.2.7.
- 124.
- 125.
- 126.
See UNHRC (2016) para. 92.
- 127.
- 128.
- 129.
Cf. Polisen (2013b), p. 45.
- 130.
- 131.
Cf. AI p. 25; Geneva Academy p. 16.
- 132.
Geneva Academy (2014), p. 6.
- 133.
Cf. UN (2014).
- 134.
Cf. UNHRC (2016) chapter I.
- 135.
Cf. UNHRC (2016) para. 10.
- 136.
Cf. AI (2013) p. 5.
- 137.
See Sect. 11.3.1.
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Siegert, K. (2018). The Police and the Human Right to Peaceful Assembly. In: Alleweldt, R., Fickenscher, G. (eds) The Police and International Human Rights Law. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71339-7_11
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