ANNEMASSE, France (AFP) - After protests at previous Group of Eight summits slumped into violence, dozens of lawyers, magistrates and non-governmental organisations Wednesday prepared to act as observers during demonstrations at the G8 meeting this weekend in Evian.
The human rights group Amnesty International said it had lined up two groups of 60 observers to follow the two main protest marches on Sunday, while the French lawyers' union (SAF) was expecting about 100 lawyers from France, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy and Spain to act as observers.
"In case of clashes, we will not intervene, we are not mediators," said Chloe Rogier, of the French branch of Amnesty.
Legal experts provided advice to the first demonstrators filtering into camps set up by anti-globalisation organisations in this region near the Swiss border.
In addition to providing information on rights in case of arrest and on how to behave during identity checks, the experts reminded the would-be demonstrators of their duty to respect "people and goods."
Rogier said protestors could also phone a legal centre in Geneva "to ensure that individual rights are respected."
The lawyers have teamed up with the main French magistrates' union (SM), a French rights group, the Human Rights League, and an anti-globalisation group.
"This G8 summit will be a laboratory for equal rights between those who are protesting peacefully and those who are holding the high-level meeting," Evelyne Sire-Marin, head of the magistrates' union said.
The organisations said in a statement that they had decided on the steps after "police excesses during the anti-G8 demonstrations in Genoa in 2001 which led to the death of (protestor) Carlo Giuliani."
Earlier this month, a court in Genoa dropped murder charges against a policeman accused of shooting dead Giuliani during the riots.
The head of Italy's anti-terrorism unit, the country's second highest-ranking police officer and the Genoa police chief were dismissed last year after an internal inquiry on police actions during the summit.
The organisations said they were concerned about the creation of "a security fortress" around Evian, where local inhabitants had been vetted and needed special badges.
They also complained about the presence of special agents to protect US President George Bush, information swapping between police forces in different countries, and procedures for immediate arraignment hearings.
"Detention centres have already been prepared for about 500 detainees, and the planning involves 200 to 500 hearings, just on the French side," Sire-Marin said.
The French Justice Ministry denied that special centres had been set up and told AFP that anyone detained would be held in custody at police stations in the region.
Hearings would be held at courts in two neighbouring towns, whose geographical range has been extended during the G8 summit, the ministry added.
"It's clearly an exceptional set-up" Sire-Marin said, complaining that more magistrates were on stand-by during the summit than court-appointed defence lawyers.
"One court can handle 40 to 50 rulings a day," she added.
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