He Center for Legal and Social Studies (Cels) reported to the United Nations (UN) and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to the national government for “restrict the right to protest” and start “a dangerous and arbitrary criminal escalation”when criticizing the arrests carried out by the security forces after the repression of the protests that took place last Wednesday in Plaza Congreso, when the Senate approved the Bases Law.
“On Wednesday, June 12, the Senate met to discuss the Bases Law project promoted by the Milei government. Outside, in the streets, thousands of people demonstrated in opposition to this initiative that implies serious setbacks in terms of rights.”said the CELS through a statement.
The human rights defense organization recalled that “around 35 protesters” and pointed out that through X’s account “Office of the President” The demonstration was described as a “attempted coup d’état and terrorists against the detained people”.
“Federal prosecutor Carlos Stornelli, following the government’s accusations, charged them with serious crimes against public safety, against public order, attack on authority, injuries, arson, havoc, instigation, organizing groups to impose their ideas or combat ideas others by force or fear, disturbance of order while the legislative body is in session.”was maintained from Cels.
For the entity, the federal security forces and the City Police deployed “a huge operation and they applied the anti-protest protocol to prevent the demonstration”. In the security forces operation, “They used tear gas, rubber bullets, stun bombs and water cannons.”
“The government relied on incidents that occurred during the demonstration to justify arbitrary arrests and use the label ‘terrorism’, it was highlighted in the document. The organization stated that “Among those detained are street vendors or people who were passing by Congress.”
“Prosecutor Stornelli’s accusation did not link the detained people to specific facts. Some were transferred to the federal prisons of Marcos Paz and Ezeiza. The ratings are in line with the proposals of the Minister of Security, Patricia Bullrich, who had requested that the people detained for terrorist acts and for a ‘new type of coup d’état’ be investigated.”he pointed out.
Late on Friday, the federal judge Maria Servini ordered the release of 17 people, but left another 16 in federal prisons “without giving concrete explanations as to why they could escape or hinder the investigation.”
“He limited himself to reproducing the serious and unfounded accusations of the prosecutor, which in turn reproduce the government’s position. “Instead of exercising judicial control over the case, he validated the arbitrariness.”objected from CELS in relation to the magistrate’s conduct.
In this context of “serious restrictions on the right to protest, personal freedom and judicial guarantees”the entity confirmed that it filed a complaint with “the Inter-American Commission and the United Nations special rapporteurs on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders.”
The intention is that all these organisms “request the national authorities to adopt the necessary measures to guarantee the freedom of those detained.”
“Just as we ask Judge Servini to control the arrests and also dictate the release of all imprisoned people”they pointed out from the CELS.
