00:00 The UN has criticised long jail sentences which have been handed to two Just Stop Oil
00:06 protesters calling them "severe". In a letter to UK government, the UN said it was worried
00:11 about "rights to freedom of expression" saying that such action could stifle protests.
00:17 The letter also said that the new Public Order Act, which came into force in July, "appears
00:22 to be a direct attack on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly". This new act includes
00:27 measures aimed at curbing disruptive protests. This comes after protesters caused a traffic
00:32 gridlock after scaling the Dartford Crossing bridge for almost 40 hours in October of last
00:37 year. In response, the government said the right to protest is a fundamental part of
00:41 the UK's democracy but also that the law-abiding majority must be able to go about their lives.
00:47 At an appeal hearing last month, Lady Chief Justice Lady Carr defended the sentences saying
00:52 they met a legitimate aim of deterring others from such offending.
00:55 [BLANK_AUDIO]
Comments