Mar 1, 2016 | Advocacy, News, Non-legal submissions
The ICJ joined today other prominent human rights organizations in urging the European Union and its Member States to respect and protect human rights and the rule of law in countering terrorism.
In their joint statement, the thirteen human rights organizations stressed the implications of Eu counter-terrorism laws and policies for human rights and the rule of law with regard to the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the principle of non-refoulement, the right to liberty and security of the person, the right to a fair trial, the principle of legality, the principle of non-discrimination, the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, the right to privacy, the rights of asylum-seekers and migrants, the freedoms of movement, of religion or belief and other dimensions.
The human rights organizations that signed up to this statement are, apart from the International Commission of Jurists, the European Network Against Racism (ENAR), Amnesty International, the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH), the Open Society European Policy Institute, the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), Fair Trials, European Digital Rights (EDRi), the Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO), the International Federation of Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture (FIACAT), the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT), the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT), and the European Association for the Defense of Human Rights (AEDH).
EU-counter-terrorism&humanrights-jointstatement-2016-ENG (download the joint statement)
Feb 26, 2016 | Advocacy, Open letters
The open letter, which includes additional recommendations for a resolution on South Sudan to be adopted at the 31st ordinary session of the Human Rights Council (29 Feb – 24 Mar) is available here: Open Letter South Sudan
Feb 12, 2016 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
The ICJ submitted a written statement to the Human Rights Council as a response to the latest report of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief.
The written submission recognized the Special Rapporteur’s active participation in the Regional Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief in Southeast Asia, organized by the ICJ in collaboration with the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) and Boat People-SOS (BPSOS) in Bangkok, Thailand from 30 September to 1 October 2015.
It also highlighted the adoption of the Conference Declaration on Freedom of Religion or Belief in Southeast Asia, a document through which participants expressed their commitment to working to enhance the right to freedom of religion or belief in the region.
The ICJ expressed its concern regarding the banning of Christmas celebrations in Brunei Darussalam, as the restrictions imposed are inconsistent with international law standards, specifically with the principle of non-discrimination.
Finally, the statement called on Brunei to eliminate the restrictions imposed for celebrating non-Muslim festivities and encouraged the Government of Brunei to implement the measures recommended by the Special Rapporteur in his report.
SouthEast Asia-HRC statement on freedom or belief-Advocacy-Non legal submissions-2016-ENG (full text, in PDF)
Dec 16, 2015 | Advocacy, Events
The ICJ joins other non-governmental organisations in co-sponsoring “Escalation of Violence in Burundi: Human rights defenders voices from the ground”, a side event to the Human Rights Council’s special session on Burundi, 17 December 2015.
The event will take place Thursday 17 December – 9.00-10.00 am in Room XII, Palais des Nations, Geneva
Panelists:
Mr Pierre Claver Mbonimpa, Association for the Protection of Human Rights and Incarcerated Persons (APRODH)
Ms Margaret Barankitse, Maison Shalom
Mr Anschaire Nikoyagize, Ligue ITEKA
Ms Carina Tertsakian, Human Rights Watch
The event will be moderated by Nicolas Agostini of FIDH.
The event will be webcast live by the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR).
Follow on twitter using the hash-tag #BurundiHRDs
A flyer for the event is available here: Burundi-UNHRC-Advocacy-SideEvent-2015
Nov 25, 2015 | Advocacy
AI y la CIJ apoyan la propuesta de creación de una Comisión Bicameral de la Verdad, la Memoria, la Justicia, la Reparación y el Fortalecimiento de las Instituciones de la Democracia en el país.
Esta comisión tratará de identificaciar las complicidades económicas y financieras en relación con violaciones de los derechos humanos y crímenes de derecho internacional cometidas durante la última dictadura militar, entre 1976 y 1983.
El trabajo de esta Comisión puede ser una contribución muy importante a la obtención de la verdad, justicia y reparación para las víctimas de la dictadura y sus cómplices económicos.
Sin embargo, esta iniciativa no debe reemplazar ni dilatar la actividad de la justicia ordinaria.
Argentina-Declaracion conjunta AI ICJ Complicidad economica-Advocacy-2015-SPA (full text in PDF)
Sep 30, 2015 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
The ICJ today delivered an oral statement to the UN Human Rights Council, commenting on the landmark UN investigation and report on violations of human rights and humanitarian law in Sri Lanka.
The statement also welcomes recommendations for integration of international judges, prosecutors, lawyers and investigators into any accountability mechanism:
“The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) welcomes the OHCHR Report on Promoting Reconciliation, Accountability and Human Rights in Sri Lanka (UN Doc A/HRC/30/61), which sets out the principal findings of the Report of the OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL Report, UN Doc A/HRC/30/CRP.2) documenting alleged serious violations and abuses of human rights and related crimes during the armed conflict in Sri Lanka. The ICJ commends the investigation team for its historic contribution towards reconciliation and the realization of victims’ rights in Sri Lanka.
The ICJ works with judiciaries, governments, civil society and victims around the world to address impunity and victims’ right to remedy for violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, including in situations of transition.
For over thirty years, the ICJ has documented and reported on a gradual erosion of judicial independence, impartiality and integrity under successive governments in Sri Lanka, and the resulting culture of impunity, including in the judiciary.[1]
The ICJ considers the International Criminal Court (ICC) to be the preferred mechanism for individual accountability where national authorities and courts lack the capacity or the willingness to genuinely investigate and prosecute all war crimes and crimes against humanity. In the absence of an ICC process, the ICJ’s extensive experience demonstrates that any credible and effective accountability process in Sri Lanka must involve, at a minimum, a majority of international judges, prosecutors and investigators.
The ICJ therefore welcomes the High Commissioner’s recommendation for a hybrid court and prosecutor’s office that fully integrates international judges, prosecutors, lawyers and investigators.
Also essential are the OHCHR recommendations on: mandate and resources of these mechanisms; legislating retroactive recognition of international crimes under national law; justice and security sector reform; repealing the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA); strengthening the Witness and Victim Protection Act; accession to the International Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances (CED), the Additional Protocols to the Geneva Convention, and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court; and continued monitoring of implementation through an OHCHR country office and the Council.
The ICJ welcomes that the tabled draft resolution explicitly recognises the need for international judges, prosecutors, lawyers and investigators. We call on the Council to adopt the resolution with, and call on the Government of Sri Lanka to urgently implement, these and other key elements of the recommendations of the High Commissioner’s Report in full.
[1] See, e.g., ICJ, Authority Without Accountability: The Crisis of Impunity in Sri Lanka (2012)
The statement can be downloaded in PDF format here: Sri Lanka-ICJ Oral Statement HRC-Advocacy-Non Legal submission-2015-ENG
