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)
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)
Sep 21, 2012 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
In an interactive dialogue with representatives of the Government of the Netherlands, the ICJ and the Dutch section of the ICJ, the NJCM, called for greater consultation with civil society.
The ICJ and NJCM also urged the Netherlands to give human rights a prominent place in civic education.
The statement was delivered today during the adoption by the UN Human Rights Council of the Universal Periodic Review outcome document on the Netherlands, during the course of the 21st regular session of the Council.
HRC21-UPR-Netherlands-OralStatement-non-legal submission-2012 (download statement, in PDF)
Jun 25, 2012 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
The ICJ drew attention on various issues related migrants and asylum seekers.
Jun 21, 2012 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
The ICJ statement draws attention to recent laws that threaten the right to freedom of expression of LGBT persons, noting examples that fail the tests of certainty, necessity and non-discrimination.
Apr 17, 2012 | Advocacy, Cases, Legal submissions
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)
