Jun 15, 1962
A study of the political, economic and social situation of the African populations in the Portuguese territories of continental Africa.
The study covers a vast array of topics such as:
- integration: the theory and its limits
- the political and administrative institutions
- public freedoms and civil rights
- the pattern of economy
- social conditions
- the organization of labour
- the forces of resistance
- the overseas provinces and the United Nations.
Lusophone Africa-rule of law political and socio econ situation-study-1962-eng (full text in English, PDF)
Nov 20, 1961
The following cable was sent today by the ICJ to the Prime Minister of Italy.
“The International Commission of Jurists expresses its profoundest regret at the brutal and unprovoked massacre of Italian airmen at the hands of mutinous Congolese troops as a result of cruel and wanton lawlessness.
Sep 18, 1961
The ICJ learnt with profound concern the sentences of death passed by the Turkish High Court of Yassiada on September 15th, 1961, upon certain accused who had appeared before the Court. Three Ministers were eventually executed.
The Commission had appointed Observers to the trials, namely Mr. Vivian Bose, a former judge of the High Court of India and now President of the Commission; Me Raymond Nicolet, an eminent Swiss lawyer of Geneva; and M. René Degouy, Président de Chambre à la Cour d’Appel de Paris.
The Commission had some expectation that the accused after sentence would receive leniency.
Immediately upon learning of the sentences the Secretary-General of the Commission, Sir Leslie Munro, forwarded on September 16th, 1961, the following telegram to the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Turkey:
“ON BEHALF OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF JURISTS AND WITH ALL POSSIBLE STRENGTH I URGE UPON YOUR GOVERNMENT THAT CLEMENCY BE EXTENDED TO THOSE SENTENCED TO DEATH AT YASSIADA PARTICULARLY BECAUSE CONSTITUTIONAL EXPERTS AT THE TRIALS WERE IN CONFLICT ON THE VALIDITY OF THE CHARGES STOP WITH THE ASSURANCES OF MY HIGHEST RESPECT – SIR LESLIE MUNRO SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF JURISTS GENEVA”
Finally the Commission profoundly regrets that sentences of death were nevertheless executed against three former Ministers of the Turkish Government, namely, Mr. Adnan Menderes, former Prime Minister of Turkey; Mr. Fatin Rustu Zorlu, former Foreign Minister and Mr. Hasan Polatkan, former Finance Minister.
The extreme penalty has been exacted for what appear to have been political offences.
Mar 8, 1961
The trial of Professor Enrique Tierno Galvan, a prominent Catholic leader of the Spanish academic community, and 9 other co-accused commences on March 9 before the Special Court of Illegal Propaganda in Madrid.
Feb 16, 1961
On February 15, 1961, the ICJ sent the following telegram to President Moise Tshombe concerning the death of Messrs. Lumumba, M’polo and Okito.
“The International Commission of Jurists representing 39,000 lawyers judges and professors of law in 62 countries of the world deeply concerned by the circumstances of the death of Patrice Lumumba and two other political figures in Katanga territory considers essential thorough investigation of legal nature by highly qualified and impartial international committee STOP Commission of Jurists requests your Excellency to consider immediately the possibility of carrying out this request
Jean-Flavien Lalive
Secretary-General”
At the same time the International Commission of Jurists sent two other telegrams: one to the President of the Republic of the Congo, Joseph Kasavubu, to ask for his support of its request, the other to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, D. Hammarskjöld, to inform him of these steps.
