ICJ oral statement on the situation of human rights in Syria

ICJ oral statement on the situation of human rights in Syria

The statement was delivered today at the 19th Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council.

The International Commission of Jurists called on the Human Rights Council, as a matter of the utmost urgency, to request that the Security Council immediately refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and to take concerted and united action with the General Assembly to end the ongoing massacres in Syria.

Syria-ICJ-Human Rights Council SS19-non legal submission-2012 (Full text in PDF)

Joint statement on asylum seekers’ right to liberty in EU asylum law

Joint statement on asylum seekers’ right to liberty in EU asylum law

The ICJ joined another 165 NGOs in an appeal to EU institutions to respect the right to liberty of asylum seekers in the negotations of the new Common European Asylum System.

The ICJ joined other 165 international, European and national NGOs in an appeal to EU institutions to to maintain the presumption against detention in EU asylum legislation and uphold as a minimum a list of essential safeguards on the detention of asylum seekers in EU asylum legislation, on occasion of the negotiations for the revision of the Common European Asylum System.

EU-jointstatement-asylum-2012 (download the joint statement)

Photo credit: © Yanni Koutsomitis (the author of the picture has no involvement in nor does support this submission)

ICJ submission to the Universal Periodic Review of Pakistan

ICJ submission to the Universal Periodic Review of Pakistan

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 Pakistan during its 14th session.

In a submission to the Working Group, the ICJ has focused on the discrete issues of:

  1. independence of the judiciary;
  2. business and human rights, concerning safety and security for miners;
  3. protection of the rights of the child; and
  4. Pakistan’s party status to international human rights instruments and its cooperation with the UN treaty bodies and the Council’s Special Procedures.

Pakistan-UPR14-StakeholderSubmission-legal submission (2012) (download in PDF)

Pakistan-Comparison-FirstAndSecondCycle-advocacy-2012 (full text in English, PDF)

ICJ’s and AI’s intervention in the case El Masri v. the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

ICJ’s and AI’s intervention in the case El Masri v. the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

The ICJ and Amnesty International presented a third party intervention in the case El Masri v. the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia before the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights.

In the third party intervention, the ICJ and AI outlined developments on the principle of non-refoulement, on enforced disappearances, on the international law of state responsibility and on the right to truth.

Macedonia-written submission-legal submission-2012 (full text in English, PDF)

Joint declaration to the Brighton Conference on Reform of the European Court of Human Rights

Joint declaration to the Brighton Conference on Reform of the European Court of Human Rights

The ICJ and other NGOs delivered a joint statement at the UK Brighton Conference on the Reform of the European Court of Human Rights.

Amnesty International, the AIRE Centre, the British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR), the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre (EHRAC), the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (HFHR), Human Rights Watch, INTERIGHTS, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), JUSTICE, Open Society Justice Initiative and REDRESS jointly delivered a statement on their views on the declaration on reform of the European Court of Human Rights under negotiation at Brighton (UK) under the UK Presidency of the Council of Europe.

Europe-Brightondeclaration-jointstatement-2012 (download the joint statement)

ICJ submission to the Universal Periodic Review of Sri Lanka

ICJ submission to the Universal Periodic Review of Sri Lanka

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 Sri Lanka during its 14th session.

In a submission to the Working Group, the ICJ has focused on the discrete issues of:

  1. the failure of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission and previous national commissions of inquiry to hold accountable those responsible for serious human rights violations;
  2. the systemic barriers affecting the efficacy of the habeas corpus writ as legal remedy for arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance;
  3. the ongoing detention of Sri Lankans in “rehabilitation camps” and the lack of any independent monitoring mechanism;
  4. Sri Lanka’s failure to implement witness protection measures;
  5. Sri Lanka’s failure to properly incorporate the Convention Against Torture into domestic law; and
  6. Sri Lanka’s party status to international human rights instruments and its cooperation with the UN treaty bodies and the Council’s Special Procedures.

Sri Lanka-ICJ submission UPR-non-judicial submission-2012 (full text in English, PDF)

Sri Lanka-Comparison second cycle-advocacy-2012 (full text in English, PDF)

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