Rights Watchdog Unveils Set Of Rules To Protect Protesters From Misuse Of Rubber Bullets

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th March, 2023) Amnesty International, a prominent international human rights organization, said on Friday it had developed 25 rules designed to prevent the improper use of rubber bullets or other kinetic weapons by police and security forces against protesters across the globe.

The watchdog decided to present the list after publication of its respective report on Tuesday, which documented the global increase in injuries and deaths caused by the misuse of rubber bullets and other projectiles.

"Governments and law enforcement agencies can refer to the 25 rules when developing human rights-compliant laws and policies with regard to the use of rubber bullets and other kinetic impact projectiles," Amnesty International said in a statement.

The set of the 25 rules, which is based on the UN Basic Principles on the use of force and firearms in law enforcement, establishes the conditions when officers should refrain from deploying rubber bullets. Such weapons can only be used in exceptional circumstances by specially trained officers, and as an extreme measure only, when there is a significant threat to the health of others, the statement read.

The rules also provide for instructions and training that officers should undergo to use kinetic impact projectiles. Moreover, Amnesty International proposed sanctions against those misusing rubber bullets.

Amnesty International raised concerns on the issue after the Swiss police used rubber bullets to disperse an unauthorized demonstration in the city of Basel on March 8. Although no cases of injuries were registered as a result of the police actions, the indiscriminate shooting "indicated the global scale of this crisis," the organization said.