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AAAS Human Rights Action Network

Letter of Appeal from the AAAS Committee on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility

5 March 1999

His Excellency President Daniel Arap Moi
Office of the President
PO Box 30510
Nairobi, Kenya

Your Excellency:

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the largest organization of natural and social scientists in the United States, and the world's largest federation of scientific societies, with 143,000 individual members and 282 affiliated groups. Our AAAS Committee on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility was formed in 1976 to protect the human rights of scientists and deal with issues relating to scientific freedom worldwide.

On behalf of the Committee, we are writing to express our deep concern about the possible arrest of Prof. Wangari Maathai. We have been informed that on 8 January 1999, Prof. Maathai and approximately twenty supporters of the Green Belt Movement were brutally attacked by an estimated 200 private security guards when they tried to plant trees in Karura public forest. It is our understanding that the police were to have accompanied the protesters to the forest for protection, but may have instead informed the security guards of the pending protest. According to reports received by the Committee the police made no effort to intervene and did not respond when the group reached the police station to report the incident.

The Committee has also been informed that a Warrant has been issued for Prof. Maathai's arrest. We are also concerned about public statements attributed to you and to private land owners insinuating that Prof. Maathai and her group may face considerable harm should they return to the forest or start new protests.

We would like to point out that the arrest and violent attack against peaceful demonstrators, with the possible consent of the police, constitute serious violations of international human rights standards, including those listed in the United Nations Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which was ratified by Kenya on 1 May 1972 and is therefore legally binding on Kenya. They include:

· The right to life, liberty and security of the person (Article 3);
· the right to freedom from arbitrary arrest, detention, or exile (Article 9); and
· the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association (Articles 21 and 22).

We urge your government to respect its obligations under the international human rights treaties to which it is a State Party and to drop the charges against the individuals arrested in connection with the peaceful demonstration conducted by Wangari Maathai and the Green Belt Movement. The Committee calls on you to assure that police officials cease their intimidation of Wagari Maathai and to undertake a thorough investigation into the attack on 8 January with the objective of bringing those responsible to justice. We also urge you to allow peaceful protests to take place without interference and with the full protection of your government.

Sincerely,


Irving Lerch, Chair
AAAS Committee on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility

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