Oct 9, 2012 | Agendas, Events
Under the title “Urging States and private companies to meet their obligations”, the workshop is taking place from 14 to 17 October 2012 in Sion, Switzerland.
The ICJ is sponsoring this international seminar that will provide all stakeholders with a space to discuss businesses’ impacts on the rights of the child and the international obligations of States in this context, identify practices, instruments and models as well as relevant partners to work for the promotion of the rights of the child in the context of business activities.
The programme of the workshop can be downloaded here:
Universal – Business and Child Rights – Workshop Programme – Event-2012
Universal – Business and Child Rights – Workshop Programme- Event – 2012 – Fr (English)
Oct 9, 2012 | News
The Sri Lankan government must immediately provide justice for the physical assault on Manjula Tillekaratne and cease public efforts to undermine the independence of the country’s judiciary, the ICJ said today.
Unidentified persons assaulted the Secretary of the Judicial Services Commission on 7 October 2012. Lawyers and judges held a strike to protest recent and escalating threats to judicial independence in Sri Lanka.
“This physical assault is another terrible step downward in the ongoing effort to undermine the judiciary and the rule of law in Sri Lanka,” said Sam Zarifi, ICJ’s Asia Director. “The Sri Lankan government has to investigate this event and bring the perpetrators to justice, and ensure that the country’s judges are secure from assault and intimidation.”
Earlier in September, the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapksa had demanded a meeting with the Chief Justice and two members of the JSC. The JSC refused the request, citing the implications of such a meeting on the independence of the judiciary.
The request came in the wake of the Supreme Court striking down a pending bill before the parliament – the “Divi Neguma Department Bill,” which proposed to establish a new department by amalgamating the Samurdhi Authority, Southern Development Authority and the Udarata Development Authority.
If passed, the bill would confer wide powers to the Economic Development Minister as well as access to funds.
State-controlled print and electronic media then engaged in a public campaign of vilifying the Chief Justice and other members of the JSC who are also sitting Supreme Court Justices.
On 18 September 2012, the JSC directed its Secretary to issue a public statement citing the baseless criticism of its members in the state electronic and print media.
The JSC indicated that it had been subjected to threats and intimidation.
Notably, the JSC said it was subjected ‘to various influences after the Commission initiated disciplinary action against a judge.’
On 28 September 2012, JSC Secretary Manjula Tillekaratne expressed concern for ‘the security of all of us and our families beginning from the person holding the highest position in the judicial system.’
“The effort to use State-controlled media to browbeat and intimidate judges is an egregious assault on the independence and impartiality of Sri Lanka’s judiciary. An independent judiciary is a necessary precondition to safeguard human rights,” Zarifi added.
The United Nations Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary makes clear that it is the responsibility of the State to respect and observe the independence of the judiciary, protecting judges from any improper influences, inducements, pressures, threats or interference.
In recent months, the independence of the judiciary has come under attack in Sri Lanka.
In July 2012, Government Minister Rishad Bathiudeen threatened a Magistrate in Mannar and then orchestrated a mob to pelt stones and set fire to part of the Mannar courthouse. Lawyers and judges held a nation-wide strike to protest the incident.
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka as well as the Judges Association of Sri Lanka issued public statements condemning the attacks.
Contact:
Sam Zarifi, ICJ Asia-Pacific Regional Director, t: +66 26198477; email: sam.zarifi@icj.org
Sheila Varadan, ICJ Legal Adviser, South Asia Programme, t: +66 857200723; email: sheila.varadan@icj.org
Picture by Nuwan Amarawansha
Oct 6, 2012 | News
The promotion of colonel Raju Basnet is a slap in the face for the victims of Nepal’s protracted civil war, ICJ and other human rights groups said today.
The Nepali cabinet’s decided on October 4, 2012, to promote colonel Raju Basnet to the rank of brigadier general. Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the International Commission of Jurists say the United Nations and the Nepali National Human Rights Commission compiled credible evidence of systematic enforced disappearances and torture at Bhairabnath Battalion headquarters in Kathmandu under the command of the colonel Raju Basnet in 2003.
On the basis of this evidence, in 2007 Nepal’s Supreme Court ordered an independent investigation and prosecution of these human rights violations. That order includes allegations that Basnet personally committed acts of torture.
“Nepal’s cabinet has thrown the entire idea of holding soldiers accountable for abuses out the door,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “This cynical and reprehensible decision seriously undermines respect for human rights and contradicts Nepal’s assurances to the international community that it would hold those implicated in wartime crimes to account.”
Basnet’s promotion occurred under the leadership of the United Communist Party of Nepal – Maoist (UCPN-M). During the war, the UCPN-M was itself responsible for enforced disappearances, torture, and unlawful killings, and has not had to answer for a single wartime violation, the groups said. Agni Sapkota, a UCPN-M member, was appointed to a cabinet position even as he was under a court-ordered police investigation for his involvement in a 2005 unlawful killing.
“Despite years of promises, the Maoists and the army have shown themselves united in one crucial aspect: contempt for the notion of accountability for criminal acts and victims’ rights to justice, truth, and reparation,” said Polly Truscott, Amnesty International’s South Asia director.
International law applicable in Nepal obligates the government to investigate and prosecute serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. Consistent with international legal principles, officials implicated in serious offenses should be removed or suspended pending completion of full investigations, with full respect for their due process rights.
The Nepali Supreme Court in an August decision directed the government to put in place appropriate legislation and guidelines to ensure that security officials are vetted before they are appointed or promoted to high-level positions.
“With the promotion of Basnet, the denial of justice and accountability has essentially turned into government policy,” said Sam Zarifi, Asia director at the International Commission of Jurists. “This decision is basically the current Nepali government saying it does not care about the rule of law, does not care about its own Supreme Court directives, and indeed, does not care about the best interests of its own citizens. This promotion is a signal to all perpetrators that power trumps justice.”
The rights groups called on the international community to urge the Nepali government to revoke its decision.
“Nepali civil society, with support from the UN and the international community, has spent years seeking to promote justice and accountability,” Adams said. “By promoting Col. Basnet, the government has sent a clear signal to the Nepali people and the country’s international supporters that it not committed to these same goals.”
For more information, please contact:
In Kathmandu, for ICJ, Govinda Sharma: +977-985-106-1167
In Bangkok, for ICJ Asia-Pacific, Sam Zarifi: +66-807-819-002
Oct 6, 2012 | News
The ICJ today expressed its heartfelt condolences at the passing away of Professor Vojin Dimitrijevic.
An international law expert and ICJ Commissioner, Vojin Dimitrijevic died at the age of 81 on 5th October 2012 in Belgrade.
He was the Director of the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights, serving in this position since the organisation’s foundation in 1995. Until 1998, he was also Professor of Public International Law and International Relations at the University of Belgrade Law School.
Professor Dimitrijevic was a member of the Presidency of the Civic Alliance of Serbia and former President of the Yugoslav Association for International Law. He was also a member of the Venice Commission for Democracy through Law and of the Institut de Droit International.
From 1982-1994, he was a member of the Human Rights Committee, serving as Rapporteur and Vice-Chairman at different stages during this time. He taught at many universities throughout the world and published numerous books and articles on human rights issues.
In 2001, he was bestowed the order of the Legion d’Honneur by the President of France, Jacques Chirac.
Vojin Dimitrijevic graduated with a PhD from the Faculty of Law of the University of Belgrade. He was first elected as an ICJ Commissioner in 2003 and re-elected in 2008. He was also a member of the ICJ’s Executive Committee, serving in this role between 2006 and 2012.
Oct 6, 2012 | Agendas, Events
On this occasion, the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty – of which ICJ is a member – will hold an interactive panel discussion in Geneva.
The discussion on “Abolition of the death penalty – Ten years of joint efforts” will take place at the Palais des Nations.
The event will gather activists from around the world to discuss and analyze, each with their own perspective, the progress made over the past decade and the remaining challenges to the fight against the death penalty.
Panelists include Ms. Emma Bonino, Vice-president of the Senate of the Republic of Italy; Mr. Renny Cushing, Murder Victims’ Families for Human Rights; Ms. Ravdan Yanjmaa, Amnesty International Mongolia; and Mr. Fabian Omar Salvioli, Vice-Chairperson of the Human Rights Committee. Ms. Kyun-wha Kang, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, will open the discussion with a few remarks.
Oct 3, 2012 | CIJL Newsletter, News
This newsletter informs you on recent activities and ongoing situations related to the work of the Centre for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers.
