UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has called for a lowering of tensions between authorities and protesters in Albania, Belgium, France, Italy and Portugal. In his statement, he condemned violence while also raising clear concerns over reports of excessive use of force by law enforcement bodies.
Call for dialogue, not escalation
According to Turk’s statement, the mass protests in these countries are raising serious human rights concerns. He called on all sides to avoid escalation and presented inclusive dialogue as the only way out of the tensions.
The right to protest and the state’s obligations
The High Commissioner underlined that citizens have the right to protest peacefully and to be heard. Along the same lines, he recalled that states are not only obliged to respond to incidents, but also to guarantee the exercise of this right in line with human rights standards.
Violence condemned, but questions raised over police intervention
Turk expressed regret over cases in which protests, according to him, were used for acts of violence and vandalism against public and private property, calling for individual accountability for those responsible.
But the statement does not stop at material damage. He said he is concerned by reports of unnecessary and excessive use of force against protesters, including children. This is a direct signal to the authorities, which in such cases are obliged to justify the legality, necessity and proportionality of every intervention.
Call for an independent investigation and action on social problems
According to the UN, every allegation of unlawful use of force must be investigated without delay, effectively and independently. It also called for those responsible to be held accountable and for victims to have effective remedies.
Turk noted that the authorities have taken some steps to investigate the incidents and reduce tensions, but he called for more than that: real dialogue with protesters, especially young people, as well as concrete measures on issues related to education, public services, housing, the rising cost of living and inequality.
The UN Commissioner’s statement places the emphasis not only on violence in the streets, but also on how states respond when faced with growing social discontent.
For Albania, the message is clear: the right to protest cannot be treated as a public order problem reduced only to clashes with police, while every allegation of excessive use of force requires independent verification, not only the official version.