* News Release Issued by the International Secretariat of Amnesty
International *

17 July 2001
EUR 30/002/2001
120/01


Italian authorities should ensure that law enforcement officials
engaged in policing operations at the G8 summit in Genoa this
week, are aware of, and act at all times in accordance, with
relevant international human rights and standards, Amnesty
International said today.

These include:
International standards relating to the use of force and firearms
by law enforcement officials;
the rights of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly;
the right not to be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention,
and
the rights of people deprived of their liberty.

Amnesty International has been concerned about alleged
human rights violations by law enforcement officials during
recent demonstrations in Italy. Similar allegations have been
made against law enforcement officials in several other countries
in the context of demonstrations around inter-governmental
meetings.

In a letter to the Italian Government last week, Amnesty
International renewed the call it had addressed to the previous
government in April 2001 for the establishment of an independent
commission of inquiry to investigate fully and impartially police
tactics and behaviour during the mass demonstration which took
place in Naples on 17 March 2001, during the Third Global Forum
meeting.

The Naples demonstration degenerated into violent clashes
between groups of demonstrators and law enforcement officials,
and resulted in injuries to both officers and demonstrators, as
well as damage to property. However, numerous reports from
various sources, including witness and victim accounts and
photographic evidence, presented a disturbing picture of
widespread abuses and violations of international human rights
standards perpetrated against non-violent demonstrators and
others by members of the State Police, Carabinieri and Guardia di
Finanza.

Amnesty International's concern at the government's
failure to establish an independent commission of inquiry, and to
provide information on the progress of the administrative
investigation into the Naples incidents, has been exacerbated by
further allegations of the use of excessive force by law
enforcement officials during a demonstration in the Port of
Naples on 6 July 2001. The demonstration was connected to the
presence in the port of the ship European Vision, prior to its
departure for Genoa where it is destined to accommodate a number
of G8 participants.

"Amnesty International does not condone violence aimed at
police or property, nor does it oppose the lawful use of
reasonable force by law enforcement officials. However, policing
must be carried out in such a way as to protect the rights of
people engaged in peaceful protest," the human rights
organization said.

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