MOSCOW, December 25 (Sputnik) — Police in England and Wales are being accused of trying to silence protest movements, using pre-charge bail to ban people from attending demonstrations, the Guardian reported Thursday.
According to figures obtained by the newspaper, 85 percent of those prohibited from protesting when bailed in England and Wales have not faced charges. Since 2008, at least 732 people on bail have agreed to the protest ban, and were never charged, the Guardian said.
"Bail is becoming an instrument that is being used by people without recourse to the judicial process. It is to essentially punish protesters and curb their right to demonstrate," Rachel Harger of human rights law organization Bindmans told the Guardian.
The government is due to begin consultations on pre-charge bail reform, with the UK Home Secretary Theresa May stating in October that bail statutory time limits must be revised to "prevent people spending months or even years on bail only for no charges to be brought."
In Britain, defendants bailed without a charge are allowed to walk free and are set a particular date to return to the police station. During that period, the police decide whether the defendant is to be charged.
