Secretary-General Urges Restraint to Avoid Further Escalation of Violence in Peru

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Secretary-General continues to follow the situation in Peru with deep concern.  He is concerned about the number of deaths reported in the context of the protests and urges the authorities to conduct prompt, effective and impartial investigations into these deaths, and to avoid the stigmatization of victims.

As demonstrations continue, the Secretary-General urges restraint to avoid a further escalation of violence and reiterates his call on the authorities to comply with international human rights law.  He underscores that protests must take place in a peaceful manner, respecting life and property.  Even in times of public emergency, measures derogating from the right of peaceful assembly must be limited to those strictly required by the exigencies of the situation and consistent with other obligations under international law.

The Secretary-General highlights that it is critical to generate conditions for meaningful and inclusive dialogue to address the current crisis.