Jun 4, 2009 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
The ICJ and other human rights groups underscored the rejection by the international human rights bodies of the use of military prosecutors and courts in cases involving abuses against civilians in Mexico.
The organizations said that the jurisdiction of military courts should be limited to offenses that are strictly military in nature. It was pointed to the practices by the Mexican military prosecutors and courts that routinely investigate members of the military accused of committing human rights violations, which violate Mexico’s obligations under international law and appear to contravene Article 13 of Mexico’s Constitution.
Mexico-Joint Oral statement-non-legal submissions-2009 (full text, PDF)
Jun 4, 2009 | Advocacy, Open letters
The ICJ drew the attention of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants to the fact that between 6 and 10 May 2009 the Italian authorities intercepted some 500 migrants in international waters.
These people were trying to reach Italy in small boats. Italian authorities escorted them back to Libya, without taking due account of Italy’s obligations in relation to potential asylum-seekers or others who may not be transferred to Libya for reasons of non-refoulement, as stipulated in Article 33 of the 1951 Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.
Italy-intervention SR Migrants-non-legal submission-2009
Jun 2, 2009 | News
The ICJ is concerned by the government’s failure to enact legislation that would criminalize the practice of enforced disappearances, investigate past cases, prosecute the perpetrators and provide reparation to victims.
Nepal-After Two Years, Government Still in Non-Compliance-Press releases-2009 (full text, PDF)
May 29, 2009 | News
The ICJ is disappointed at verdict delivered by a Thai court.
“We are disappointed at the verdict delivered today by the Songkhla Provincial Court, which found that the 78 men who were transported from Tak Bai to Ingkayuthaborihaan Army Camp in October 2004 died as a result of suffocation, without acknowledging all the factual circumstances that caused their deaths,” said Roger Normand, Asia-Pacific Director of the ICJ.
Thailand-Court delivers disappointing post-mortem inquest findings-web story-2009 (full text, PDF)
May 28, 2009 | News
The ICJ urged the UN Human Rights Council’s special session to call on the Government of Sri Lanka to take several human rights measures.
In particular, the Government of Sri Lanka must ensure unhindered humanitarian access and assistance to the internally displaced persons (IDPs), protection of IDPs, safeguards against attacks on journalists and human rights defenders and effective accountability, including through an independent international investigation into human rights and humanitarian law violations.
The ICJ deplored that the draft resolution L.1/Rev.2, which was later adopted by vote, failed to address the most pressing concerns.
SriLanka-UNcouncil-news-2009 (full text, PDF)
