The European Union says protests remain a cardinal part of
democracy as long as they remain peaceful.
The EU Ambassador to Nigeria, Ketil Karlsen, however, said it
was not the job of the EU to tell Nigeria how to conduct its
internal affairs but added that the judiciary should be allowed to
do its job.
Karlsen said this while responding to a question by The PUNCH at
the ‘departure orientation for the 2019 Erasmus+ Scholarship
Awardees’ in Abuja on Thursday.
He said he was not aware of any petition sent to the EU by
rights groups who had criticised the President Muhammadu Buhari-led
government over the clampdown on protesters.
The ambassador said, “The European Union stands firm on the
principles of freedom of speech and our fundamental values. Of
course, it is important in any democratic society for people to be
able to participate.
“I am not aware of any petition following the latest events in
Nigeria but what I can say is that as long as people seek peaceful
means to demonstrate and voice their political opinion, this is
what we see as a natural part of a thriving democracy.
“Of course, any democracy or any society in the world must
jealously guard and make sure that such pronouncements are always
non-violent and that they respect the fundamental rules of the game
and democracy at the end of the day and it is for the Nigerian
justice system, in the end, to follow up on specific cases and as
long as these cases are being dealt with in the Nigerian justice
system, it is not for the EU or the EU ambassador to judge what is
right or wrong in these occasions but of course we always follow
very carefully when there are dissenting voices in the countries
where we operate and we listen very carefully to all of them.”
The Federal Government had on Saturday arrested Sahara Reporters
publisher, Omoyele Sowore, for organising a nationwide protest
calling for a revolution.
On Monday, security agencies also clamped down on protesters,
arresting those who decided to demonstrate at the National Stadium,
Surulere.
A Federal High Court in Abuja granted the Department of State
Services’ request to detain Sowore for 45 days pending
investigation for alleged treason and terrorism.