ICJ signs joint letter calling for independent inquiry mechanism into urgent human rights situation in Libya

ICJ signs joint letter calling for independent inquiry mechanism into urgent human rights situation in Libya

The ICJ today joined a call with Libyan, regional and other international NGOs for the Human Rights Council to create an independent inquiry mechanism into serious human rights and humanitarian law violations in Libya.

The escalating armed conflict and significantly deteriorating human rights situation in Libya requires a strong and urgent response from the Human Rights Council.

The statement calls for the creation of an independent inquiry mechanism with the mandate to investigate and ensure accountability for gross human rights and humanitarian law violations occurring throughout the country including attacks on civilians, the widespread use of torture, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances and unlawful killings.

The statement outlines the ongoing impunity for those responsible for violations, the inability of the Libyan criminal justice system to deal with such crimes and it calls on the Human Rights Council to encourage Libya’s cooperation with the ICC.

Libya-HRC joint Statement-Advocacy-2015-ENG (full text in PDF)

Libya-HRC joint Statement-Advocacy-2015-ARA (full text in PDF)

United Arab Emirates: stop the charade and release activists convicted at the mass UAE 94 trial

United Arab Emirates: stop the charade and release activists convicted at the mass UAE 94 trial

Thirteen human rights organizations, including the ICJ, call on the United Arabe Emirates government to release the activists jailed following the UAE 94 trial.

On the second anniversary of the start of the mass “UAE 94” trial that imprisoned dozens of government critics and reform activists in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), including prominent human rights defenders, judges, academics, and student leaders, a coalition of 13 organizations calls on the UAE government to release immediately and unconditionally all those imprisoned solely for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression and association following this grossly unfair trial, as well as those who remain detained or imprisoned for publicizing concerns about it.

The organizations also call on the authorities to ensure that the allegations of torture and other ill-treatment that the individuals were subjected to prior to and following their trial are promptly, independently, impartially and thoroughly investigated, that those responsible are held to account, and that the victims have access to effective remedies and to reparation.

The organizations share the serious concerns raised since 2011 by several UN human rights bodies and human rights organizations regarding the UAE government’s continuing pattern of harassment, secret, arbitrary and prolonged incommunicado detention, torture and other ill-treatment, enforced disappearances, and unfair trials targeting activists and those critical of the authorities, as well as its increasing use of national security as a pretext to clamp down on peaceful activism and to stifle calls for reform.

The space for dissent in the UAE is increasingly shrinking. The repression has been entrenched with the enactment in 2012 of the cybercrimes law, which the government has used to silence social media activists and others who support and defend freedom of expression online, and the enactment of the 2014 counter-terror law.

The vague and overly broad definition of terrorism in the 2014 law, which treats a wide range of activities, including those protected by human rights standards, as amounting to terrorism, may be used to sentence human rights defenders or critics of the government to lengthy prison terms or even death.

The organizations call on the UAE government, which currently is a member of the UN Human Rights Council, to adhere to its obligations to uphold human rights at home, including respecting the rights to freedom of opinion and expression, and to freedom of association and peaceful assembly.

The full statement can be found here in English and Arabic:

United Arab Emirates-Release activists convicted at the UAE94 trial-Advocacy-2015-ENG (full text in PDF)

United Arab Emirates -Release activists convicted at the UAE94 trial-Advocacy-2015-ARA (full text in PDF)

Read also:

UAE: Fear that Anti-Terrorism Law will be used to curtail human rights and target human rights defenders, Gulf Centre for Human Rights, Front Line Defenders, Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, 13 December 2014,

Mass convictions following an unfair trial: The UAE 94 case, an ICJ report, October 2013,

United Arab Emirates: ICJ condemns blatant disregard of the right to a fair and public trial, ICJ, 12 March 2013

Proposed Arab Court of Human Rights: an empty vessel without substantial changes to the draft statute

Proposed Arab Court of Human Rights: an empty vessel without substantial changes to the draft statute

30 Human rights groups, including the ICJ have signed a statement calling upon the League of Arab State’s (LAS) member States to substantially revise the draft statute of the Arab Court of Human Rights (the Arab Court).

The LAS should also ensure the full accordance of the Arab Court with international human rights law and standards, including obligations assumed by LAS member States, the statement says.

In addition, the human rights groups strongly condemn the fact that both the LAS and the expert committee went about their drafting exercise without consulting with any civil society groups, despite their vast expertise in relevant issues, or any other stakeholders, despite several requests from civil society organizations to engage in the process.

The full text can be downloaded below in English and Arabic:

MENA-Arab Court Statement-news-web story-2014

MENA-Arab Court Statement-news-web story-2014-ara

 

 

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