Aug 20, 2015
The UN Human Rights Council should pass a resolution that addresses the deteriorating human rights situation in Cambodia, the ICJ and 10 other international and Cambodian human rights groups said in a letter to the Permanent Representatives of Member and Observer States of the HRC.
The letter urges the Member States to support a resolution at the Human Rights Council’s 30th regular session (14 September to 2 October 2015), that:
- Raises substantial issues of concern, including violations of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, association and expression; threats to, and attacks against, human rights defenders; the lack of independence of the judiciary; violations of land and housing rights; the erosion of fundamental democratic principles and institutions; and ongoing impunity for perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses;
- Calls on the Cambodian Government to put an end to these serious violations, abide by its domestic and international human rights obligations, and implement key legal and institutional reforms that UN bodies and mechanisms have highlighted as priorities;
- Extends the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur for a period of at least two years, with monitoring and reporting powers in addition to advisory services;
- Calls on the Cambodian Government to fully cooperate with the current Special Rapporteur, Ms. Rhona Smith, as well as with other UN human rights bodies and mechanisms; and
- Calls on the Cambodian Government to establish a time-bound action plan for the implementation of recommendations made by the Special Rapporteur and by previous mandate holders, as well as by UN bodies and mechanisms, including treaty monitoring bodies, thematic special procedures of the Human Rights Council, and the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).
The letter also requests Members States to express support for the renewal of the mandate of the OHCHR country office in Cambodia, and to underline the importance of the complementarities between the work of the Special Rapporteur and the OHCHR country office.
The letter was signed by the ICJ, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (Forum-Asia), Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR), Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC), Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO), CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, Civil Rights Defenders, International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), Human Rights Watch, and World Organization Against Torture (OMCT).
Cambodia-HRC-Human rights situation-Advocacy-open letters-2015-ENG (full text in PDF)
Aug 19, 2015
Today the ICJ joined a number of human rights organizations in an appeal to the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Kazakhstan regarding a recent case of obstruction of work of lawyer Snezhanna Kim, practicing in the country.
The incident took place on 24 July 2015, when lawyer Snezhanna Kim was having a meeting with a client in detention facility no. 161/1 in the city of Kostanay.
The signatories called on the Prosecutor to ensure that Snezhanna Kim and other lawyers are able to freely carry out their professional activities, including by visiting clients held in places of detention without hindrance and communicating with them based on full respect for the confidentiality of the lawyer-client relationship and without pressure of any kind.
Kazakhstan-Violations Lawyer’s rights-Advocacy-Open letters-2015-ENG (full text in PDF, English)
Kazakhstan-Violations Lawyer’s rights-Advocacy-Open letters-2015-RUS (full text in PDF, Russian)
Aug 2, 2015 | News
From 31 July to 2 August 2015 the ICJ supported a training and induction workshop for the Zimbabwe National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in Harare, with over 200 participants.
The public prosecutors came from the Eastern Division comprising of Midlands, Manicaland and Masvingo provinces.
The objective of the training and induction workshop was to appraise the prosecutors of the changes brought about by the Constitution, international and regional standards in the conducting of prosecutorial duties, their independence and accountability.
The presentations also focused on the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act as the main guiding framework for public prosecutors which has been significantly altered with the assumption of a new Constitution in respect of fair trial rights.
The NPA and the public prosecutors required a platform to collectively familiarize themselves with the changes and conducting of their duties guided by national, international and regional standards.
For purposes of infusing best regional and international practices, presentations included international principles and standards for prosecutors under United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Prosecutors; the Principles and Guidelines on the Right to Fair Trial and Legal Assistance in Africa; the relationship of the NPA and other arms such as the Judicial Service Commission and the Police.
An array of resources persons were invited and included Justice Chinembiri Bhunu, from the Judicial Service Commission, Virginia Mabiza, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Justice Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Andrew Chigovera, former Attorney General of Zimbabwe, former Commissioner on the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights and Dr. Tarisai Mutangi, law lecturer Midlands State University.
As a new establishment under the Constitution, the NPA explored the available and needed continuous professional development for prosecutors to fully equip them for their mandate.
The Principal of the Judicial College of Zimbabwe (a partner of the ICJ), Mr. Shana, presented on the opportunities for continuous professional development for prosecutors for acquaintance with new legal developments.
The training follows additional support that ICJ made to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) under a European Union (EU) funded agreement to develop a strategic plan for the NPA in respect of which a strategic planning workshop was held from 6 to 8 July 2015,
Contact:
Arnold Tsunga, ICJ Regional Director for Africa, t: +27 73 131 8411, e: arnold.tsunga(a)icj.org
Jul 22, 2015
The ICJ has joined with lawyers’ organisations and other NGOs in an open letter to China’s leaders expressing concern about a recent wave of arrests and other interference with lawyers in the country.The letter can be downloaded in PDF format here:
China-Lawyers-Advocacy-OpenLetter-2015-Eng (English)
China-Lawyers-Advocacy-OpenLetter-2015-Chi (Chinese)
Jul 8, 2015 | News
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) of Zimbabwe convened its first strategic planning workshop with technical support from the ICJ, under recently launched European Union (EU) funded project to contribute to an improvement in administration of justice in Zimbabwe.
The strategic planning workshop took place in Harare from 6 to 8 July 2015.
The NPA is established under section 259 of the 2013 Constitution as a separate, independent and accountable institution responsible for instituting and undertaking criminal prosecutions on behalf of the State, promoting a just and fair system for all persons approaching the courts and protecting the rights of the arrested and detained persons as provided for by the Constitution.
The strategic plan will allow the NPA to set its vision, objectives and including stakeholders’ expectations as guided by the Constitution and the National Prosecuting Authority Act for the next 5 years.
The NPA held this strategic plan as its first ever strategic stakeholder’s engagement since its establishment under the Constitution in May 2013.
To validate and ground the strategic plan and outputs, the NPA invited civil society organizations, law based institutions, human rights advocates, women lawyers associations, legal aid institutions, the Parliament Thematic and Standing Committee representatives, law enforcement agencies, and law professors, among others.
The Judicial Service Commission and Law Society of Zimbabwe, ICJ’s partners in EU funded project on improvement in the administration of justice, also attended the NPA strategic planning session.
The strategic plan will inform further interventions and activities for strengthening the observance of the rule of law, fair trial and access to justice by the NPA with support from ICJ’s EU funded project.
Once developed and adopted, the strategic plan will further open opportunities for other technical partnerships and funding opportunities for the NPA.
Contact:
Arnold Tsunga, ICJ Regional Director for Africa, t: +27 73 131 8411, e: arnold.tsunga(a)icj.org
