Today, the UN Human Rights Council discussed technical assistance and capacity building in Ukraine and Colombia in Geneva. This was the opportunity for the ICJ to express some concerns about the capacity, independence and impartiality of the justice system in both countries, and to make recommendations to address these concerns.
Regarding Ukraine, while noting the essential steps taken by the State to ensure that its justice system continues to function despite the consequences of the Russian aggression, the ICJ expressed concerns about recent attacks on Ukrainian lawyers as a consequence of being associated with their clients, particularly in high-profile cases. The ICJ recalled that lawyers must be able to exercise their duties without fear of retaliation, harassment and improper interference, including during armed conflicts. The ICJ further called on Ukraine to fully ensure effective accountability for crimes committed during the armed conflict, in full respect of international human rights law.
Read the full statement: ICJ OS – ID HC Report Ukraine
Concerning Colombia, the ICJ thanked for her report the international expert appointed by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to identify the obstacles to the implementation of the 2016 peace agreement and make recommendations to overcome them. The ICJ agreed with the expert that the actions of the Attorney General’s Office in the “Santrich” case were an abuse of its prosecutorial functions and undermined the work of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace. Additionally, the ICJ demanded that the necessary investigations into the case be conducted without further delay, as well as the effective implementation of the Peace Agreement in all territories and a better coordination of policies and programs in that regard.
Read the full statement: ICJ statement -ID Expert Report Colombia