Apr 6, 2009 | Events
Initial widespread support for the US-lead ‘War on Terror’ in response to the 9/11 attacks has diminished markedly. What does this mean for Africa?
In fact, counter-terrorism today has a less-than-honourable reputation, conjuring images of extra-judicial renditions, unlawful and indefinite detention, and torture.
However recent developments indicate that change is coming to the way the world – and Africa – combats terrorism. President Obama has already ordered an end to several unlawful US-lead practices; in Europe and other regions courts are reminding governments about the importance of human rights and due process. Rather than falling primarily within the domain of spies and the military, criminal justices responses will become increasingly important.
Is Africa ready for this change? The ICJ and the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) are organizing an evening reception to explore these questions and launch the recent report of the ICJ’s Eminent Jurists Panel on Terrorism, Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights.
Africa-terrorism-news-2009 (full text, PDF)
Apr 26, 2008 | News
In the past three weeks alone there have been reports of wide scale and systematic violence (including cases of torture) of supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in post election political retribution.
The Zimbabwe Association of Doctors of Human Rights (ZADHR) reported treating over 452 people who had been assaulted or tortured by militias operating with the acquiescence of the state security agents or together with such agents.
At least 10 people are known to have also been extra judicially executed in politically motivated violence perpetrated by the governing party, ZANU-PF. Thousands have been internally displaced and remain without access to adequate food and other social necessities.
Zimbabwe-gravitates towards chaos-Press releases-2008 (full text, PDF)
Mar 13, 2008 | News
The ICJ has written to the Zimbabwe Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, expressing serious concern about recent developments which threaten to undermine the independence of lawyers.
Jun 11, 2007 | News
The ICJ just concluded a five-day Mission to Zimbabwe to investigate the facts and law surrounding the reports of recent arrests, detention and beatings of lawyers.
Jun 5, 2007 | News
The ICJ today began a five-day high-level mission to Zimbabwe to investigate into the facts and law surrounding the recent reports of the arrest, detention and beatings of lawyers and human rights defenders.
May 24, 2007 | Events
Text of a lecture given by Justice Arthur Chaskalson, President of the International Commission of Jurists and Chair of the Eminent Jurists Panel at the Faculty of Law in Cambridge on Friday 11 May 2007, as the Seventh Sir David Williams Lecture.
The lecture was entitled: “The Widening Gyre: Counter-Terrorism, Human Rights and the Rule of Law”.
widening gyre-events-2007 (full text, PDF)
