On 18 July 2023, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) made a submission to the UN Human Rights Council’s Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in advance of its review of Malaysia’s human rights record early next year.
As the United Nations Human Rights Council concludes its 53rd session in Geneva, the ICJ welcomes the Council’s continued commitment to addressing some of the critical challenges of the day, including violence against women and girls, the rights of migrants, the independence of the judiciary, and the impact of new technologies and climate change on human rights. At the same time, some States at the Council have persisted in calling into question and undermining hard-fought gains in such areas as the protection of the rights of LGBTI persons, or sexual and reproductive health and rights.
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) has renewed its call for the immediate release of Buzurgmehr Yorov, an imprisoned Tajikistan lawyer, and expressed deep concern over his recent additional sentencing. This follows the decision by Vahdat city court on 10 July 2023 to add an extra ten years to Yorov’s existing sentence, accusing him of large-scale fraud.
On the occasion of the interactive dialogues with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation of Venezuela and Myanmar, the ICJ urges the High Commissioner and UN Member States to monitor and address attacks on the independence of the judiciary and to protect lawyers, human rights defenders and civic space in these countries.
Tunisia: Quash the unjust conviction of civil society actors and others for upholding migrants’ and refugees’ human rights and release those arbitrarily detained
Tunisia: End arbitrary criminal proceedings against Tunisian judges’ association President Anas Hmedi
Thailand: New sexual harassment law a step in the right direction, albeit concerns remain
Turkey: Drop Bogus Charges against Istanbul Bar Association Leadership