The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has just finalized its review of El Salvador, one of the State parties under examination during the 52nd session of the Committee held between the 28 April and 23 May 2014.
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)
In an interactive dialogue with representatives of its government, the ICJ called on Brazil to bring its legislation and practice in full compliance with its obligation to consult with indigenous peoples. Watch the webcast.
The ICJ also urged Brazil to expedite steps towards ratification of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Convention for the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and ILO Convention 189 on the protection of domestic workers.
The ICJ delivered its statement today during the adoption by the UN Human Rights Council of the Universal Periodic Review outcome document on Brazil, during the course of the 21st regular session of the Council.
HRC21-Item6-Brazil-OralStatement-non-legal submissions-2012 (download statement, in PDF)
In an interactive dialogue with representatives of its government, the ICJ called on Ecuador to take steps to ensure that its Constitution and other legislation conform with obligations pertaining to the rights of indigenous peoples. Watch the webcast.
The ICJ delivered its statement today during the adoption by the UN Human Rights Council of the Universal Periodic Review outcome document on Ecuador, during the course of the 21st regular session of the Council.
HRC21-Item6-Ecuador-OralStatement-non legal submissions-2012 (download statement, in PDF)
The ICJ called on the UN Human Rights Council to strengthen measures to fight impunity in the department of Petén in Guatemala, and to encourage the Government of Guatemala to adopt measures to protect human rights defenders.
The ICJ delivered its oral statement on 18 September 2012 in the course of a panel discussion on indigenous peoples’ access to justice, during the course of the 21st regular session of the Human Rights Council.
HRC21-Item3-Panel-IPsA2J-OralStatement-non-legal submissions-2012-SPA (download statement, in PDF)
Guatemala-Mision Peten-communicado de prensa-2012-SPA (full text, in PDF)
Guatemala-Informe Acceso a la Justicia-2012-SPA (full text, in PDF)
Guatemala-Criminalizacion de la protesta-2012-SPA (full text, in PDF)
Under the second cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism, the UN Human Rights Council Working Group on the UPR will be undertaking a review of Guatemala during its 14th session.
In a submission to the Working Group, the International Commission of Jurists has focused on the discrete issues of:
Guatemala-ICJ submission UPR-non-judicial submission-2012 (full text in English, PDF)
Guatemala-Comparison second cycle-advocacy-2012 (full text in English, PDF)
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