Restrictions on the right of peaceful assembly and their impact on democratic standards

Written declaration No. 832 | Doc. 16337 | 28 January 2026

Signatories:

Mr Marc LAMUÀ, Spain, SOC ; Mr Richard BAKER, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Yves CRUCHTEN, Luxembourg, SOC ; Ms Cat ECCLES, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Patrícia FARO, Portugal, SOC ; Ms María FERNÁNDEZ, Spain, SOC ; Mr Martynas GEDVILAS, Lithuania, SOC ; Mr Gerardo GIOVAGNOLI, San Marino, SOC ; Mr Antonio GUTIÉRREZ LIMONES, Spain, SOC ; Ms Gabriela HEINRICH, Germany, SOC ; Ms Bisera KOSTADINOVSKA-STOJCHEVSKA, North Macedonia, SOC ; Mr Christophe LACROIX, Belgium, SOC ; Ms Annick LAMBRECHT, Belgium, SOC ; Ms Luz MARTINEZ SEIJO, Spain, SOC ; Mr Fabian MOLINA, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Ivan RAČAN, Croatia, SOC ; Ms Daan ROOVERS, Netherlands, SOC ; Mr Roberto SPERANZA, Italy, SOC ; Ms Susanna VELA, Andorra, SOC ; Ms Gala VELDHOEN, Netherlands, SOC

This written declaration does not reflect the position of the Assembly; only of those members that have signed it. It will not be considered further by the Assembly.

We, the undersigned, declare the following:

The right of peaceful assembly constitutes a central pillar of democratic societies and is indispensable to political participation, public accountability, and pluralism. Recent developments worldwide show a troubling trend toward the weakening of this right, which no longer concerns only authoritarian regimes but also affects established democracies.

In Iran, the situation is particularly alarming. In recent weeks, peaceful demonstrations have been repressed through the excessive use of force, mass arrests, arbitrary detention, internet shutdowns, and severe criminal sanctions, resulting in casualties. Women, students, and civil society actors are portrayed as threats to national security, reflecting a criminalisation of dissent that runs counter to international human rights obligations.

Concerns also exist in the United States. Recently, particularly in Minnesota, protests have led to disproportionate policing, excessive restrictions, and the use of militarised tactics. Official rhetoric has reinforced these practices, causing civilian casualties and significantly reducing civic space.

The Parliamentary Assembly must reaffirm that peaceful assembly is a fundamental right and that no citizen should have their life threatened for exercising it.