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Commonwealth Secretary General The Right Honorable Patricia Scotland QC said the Commonwealth “is closely monitoring developments regarding the suspension of Twitter and allegations of crackdown on the rights to freedom of expression, access to information , media freedom, as well as contempt for the rule of law in Nigeria.
Ms Scotland said: “All member countries of the Commonwealth, including Nigeria, have an obligation and commitment to uphold freedom of expression as one of the core values and principles of the Commonwealth Charter. This underscores a commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other relevant international human rights covenants and instruments.
The Commonwealth statement followed an urgent appeal from the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) urging Ms Scotland to “apply the Commonwealth Charter to hold the Nigerian government to account for the illegal suspension of Twitter in Nigeria and the resulting repression. freedom of expression, access to information and freedom of the media.
This development was disclosed today by SERAP Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare.
In the urgent appeal, SERAP said: “The Nigerian government has demonstrated time and again that it is not committed to protecting human rights. The Commonwealth should take a clear stand to ensure institutional accountability, freedom of expression, access to information and freedom of the media in Nigeria.
In response, Ms Scotland, in a letter to SERAP, said: “I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 5 June 2021 highlighting concerns over the suspension of Twitter in Nigeria.”
The letter from the Commonwealth dated 22 July 2021 and signed on behalf of Ms Scotland by Roger Koranteng, Head of the Governance and Peace Directorate, read in part: “The Commonwealth Secretary General has been following developments very closely. in Nigeria and engages relevant stakeholders.
“Rest assured that the Secretariat will remain engaged with the Nigerian authorities and encourage a speedy resolution of this matter. ”
“All member countries of the Commonwealth [including Nigeria] pledged to uphold freedom of expression as one of the core values and principles of the Commonwealth Charter, which underscores a commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights covenants and instruments of man.
Kolawole Oluwadare said: “We are very pleased that our letter and the concerns it raises have caught the attention of the Commonwealth Secretary General. Given her public record on justice and human rights, we have no doubt that she will persuade the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to lift the illegal suspension of Twitter, respect human rights and obey the rule of law.
“But he should never have reached that level, because the government has absolutely no justification for suspending Twitter in Nigeria. The Buhari administration should have routinely complied with the Commonwealth Charter and other similar human rights standards. ”
SERAP’s urgent appeal, dated 5 June 2021, read in part: ‘Ms Scotland should urgently consider recommending the suspension of Nigeria from the Commonwealth to Heads of Government, the incumbent President of the Commonwealth and Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II, as head of the Commonwealth to push the government to take concrete action to respect and promote the Commonwealth’s values of human rights, transparency, accountability and the rule of law.
“Nigerians can only participate freely in democratic processes and shape the society in which they live if these basic human rights are fully and effectively respected, protected and promoted. ”
“The suspension has the character of collective punishment and is contrary to the Nigerian Constitution and the country’s international obligations. Nigerian authorities appear to be suppressing people’s access to Twitter to exploit the shutdown to cover up allegations of corruption, abuse and restrict free speech and other basic rights.
“The Nigerian government has also called for prosecutions against those who violate its order suspending Twitter operations in Nigeria. This order to prosecute Twitter users violates the legal rule that there should be no punishment without law. ”
“Respect for Commonwealth values is essential for citizens to have confidence in Commonwealth institutions. The Commonwealth must take a strong stand in favor of the protection of human rights, transparency and the rule of law in Nigeria, fundamental principles for the integrity of the Commonwealth and the functioning and effectiveness of its institutions. .
“The suspension of Twitter in Nigeria demonstrates the determination of the authorities to suppress all forms of peaceful dissent by the Nigerian people. There are well-founded fears that the human rights situation in Nigeria will deteriorate further if urgent action is not taken to address it. ”
“According to our information, the Nigerian government on Friday June 4, 2021 illegally ordered all Internet service providers to suspend Twitter in Nigeria. The suspension of Twitter operations in Nigeria follows the removal of tweets from President Muhammadu Buhari, which Twitter said “violated Twitter rules.”
“The suspension of Twitter in Nigeria comes amid a crackdown on civic space and harassment of news houses and journalists who are targeted simply for performing their professional duty.
“The suspension of Twitter has seriously compromised transparency and accountability in government. Lack of transparency undermines the rule of law and the ability of Nigerians to participate in their own government.
“The lack of transparency and accountability, and the lack of the rule of law in Nigeria have gone a long way in depriving Nigerians of their basic human rights. People have been targeted simply for using Twitter and peacefully exercising their basic human rights. ”
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