Oct 9, 2012 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
The ICJ commented on the UPR of the Russian Federation, addressing issues including torture and ill-treatment, impunity, judicial independence, NGO laws and “homosexual propaganda” bans.
The International Commission of Jurists has brought to the attention of the Human Rights Council’s Working Group on the UPR and to the Human Rights Council issues concerning:
- prevention of torture and ill-treatment and other gross human rights violations;
- impunity for gross human rights violations;
- independence of the judiciary; amendments to NGO laws;
- non-refoulement; homosexual propaganda bans; and
- Russia’s engagement with international human rights instruments and mechanisms.
Russia-ICJ comments on UPR-non-legal-submission-2012 (download the ICJ submission)
Oct 2, 2012 | E-bulletin on counter-terrorism & human rights, News
Read the 66th issue of ICJ’s monthly newsletter on proposed and actual changes in counter-terrorism laws, policies and practices and their impact on human rights at the national, regional and international levels. The E-Bulletin on Counter-Terrorism and Human...
Sep 26, 2012 | Advocacy, Cases, Legal submissions
The ICJ and others argue that Spain should assume jurisdiction, as the US has allowed for impunity of top officials who facilitated torture.
The ICJ joined the Center for Constitutional Rights, the European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights and other leading organizations and scholars, arguing that the Spanish Supreme Court should reopen the investigations for participation in or aiding and abetting torture and other human rights abuses against six senior legal officials of the Bush Administration.
The brief argues that Spain should exercise jurisdiction under Spanish law because the US itself has failed to carry out any meaningful investigations and prosecutions against the officials, who are alleged to have provided legal authorisation for torture practices against “war on terror” detainees.
The officials are David Addington (former Counsel to, and Chief of Staff for, former Vice President Cheney): Jay S. Bybee (former Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ); Douglas Feith (former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Department of Defense (DOD); Alberto R. Gonzales (former Counsel to former President George W. Bush, and former Attorney General of the United States); William J Haynes (former General Counsel, DOD); and John Yoo (former Deputy Assistant Attorney General, OLC, DOJ).
SpainUSA-Bushlawyers-AmicusBrief-2012-eng (download third party intervention)
