The ICJ is concerned at the lack of transparency in the process, which could undermine universal human rights standards.
The ICJ condemns the conviction pronounced today by the Supreme Court of Spain against Judge Baltasar Garzón, who will be banned from the judicial office for a period of 11 years.The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) condemns the conviction pronounced today by the Supreme Court of Spain against Judge Baltasar Garzón, who will be banned from the judicial office for a period of 11 years.
The ICJ has concluded a fact finding mission concerning the prosecution and trial against human rights defender Azimjan Askarov. The mission was undertaken to respond to allegations of human rights violations surrounding the case, including breaches international fair trial standards during the investigation and trial. Particular concerns were raised about torture and ill-treatment of Mr Askarov, intimidation of lawyers and political pressure on judges.
Kyrgyzstan-mission case Askarov-web-2011 (full text in English, PDF)
Kyrgyzstan-mission case Askarov-web-2011 (full text in Russian, PDF)
The ICJ is urging the Members of the House of Representatives to dismiss the draft legislation on evidence in criminal trials which could exacerbate further the already dramatic delays in Italian judicial proceedings.
The legislation would eliminate the possibility for a judge to reject the admission of “superfluous” and even “manifestly superfluous” evidence, allowing the parties to a case to call an almost infinite number of witnesses, and potentially delaying the case indefinitely. It also would make it unduly difficult to incorporate previous final rulings on the same case as prima facie evidence of the facts in the proceedings.”
Italy-length-criminal-trial-web story-2011-eng (full text in English, PDF)
Italy-length-criminal-trial-web story-2011-ita (full text in Italian, PDF)
The 9th World Day Against the Death Penalty will focus on the inhumanity of the death penalty as a cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment.
Africa Region: Human Rights Defenders and Lawyers Propose Means to Strengthen Access to Redress for Victims of Human Rights Atrocities
Europe: Experts stress the role of intermediaries in access to justice for children with disabilities
HRC63: ICJ and HRW Call for Protection of Black African Migrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Tunisia and Libya
Pakistan: End the cycle of detention and judicial harassment of lawyers Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha