Oct 25, 2010 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
“Since the attacks of September 2001, decisions being taken at both national and international levels have been touching all regions of the world,” Michèle Rivet said as a preamble.
Many States or governments have adopted measures: pre-emptive detention without charge, long periods of pre-trial detention, restriction to the access to legal counsel, expulsion of foreigners without due consideration to the non refoulement principle, and finally, establishment of special courts that do not meet the minimum requirement of independence and impartiality.
Some governments have carried out activities shrouded in secrecy, and introduced measures that deny individuals the right to test or to challenge the legality of the actions taken against them or the lawfulness of their detention.
Many detainees have been summarily taken or expelled without due process in violation of usual extradition procedures to a country where they can be tortured with impunity. We have seen basic fair trial guarantees ignored, rights of defence cut down, and rights of appeal removed.
Genevaforum-fairtrial-advocacy-2010 (full text, PDF)
Oct 7, 2010 | News
The main award for international human rights for 2010 goes to a Syrian human rights defender lingering in prison. The Jury of the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders (MEA) announces its Laureate for 2010 The main award for international human rights for 2010 goes to a Syrian human rights defender lingering in prison. The Jury of the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders (MEA) announces its Laureate for 2010.
Aug 10, 2010 | News
The ICJ and Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF) today welcomed the permanent stay of all charges against leading human rights advocate and ICJ Commissioner, Imrana Jalal.
Jul 26, 2010 | Events
The ICJ is organizing two-day trial observation training seminars on 4-5 October in Moscow and 7-8 October in Saint Petersburg.
The seminar aims to provide practical skills on how to conduct trial observations, how to assess and analyse information and data obtained, and how to draft a final trial observation report.
The seminar will address the legislative frameworks within which courts operate, including:
- the structure and functioning of the judiciary;
- the compliance of these frameworks with international rule of law and human rights standards;
- the components and guarantees of the right to fair trial;
- observing proceedings within the courtroom; and
- the conduct of meetings with the relevant authorities and other advocacy work outside the courtroom.
Participants will be introduced to international standards of trial observations with a special focus on judicial independence.
Criteria for eligibility:
- The call for applications is open to judges, lawyers (whether in private practice or affiliated to an NGO), NGO representatives, and other interested professionals. A total of 15 participants will be selected.
- Applicants must have a demonstrated interest in the rule of law and human rights law
- Applicants must have an interest in international standards of trial observation
- The working language of the seminars is Russian
Closing date for applications: 15 September 2010.
Application forms can be downloaded below.
For any further information please contact Róisín Pillay at roisin.pillay@icj.org or Temur Shakirov at temur.shakirov@icj.org
Russian Federation-application form Moscow-event-2010 (full text in Russian, PDF)
Russian Federation-application form Saint Petersburg-event-2010 (full text in Russian, PDF)
Russian Federation-trial observation training-event-2010 (full text in Russian, PDF)
Russian Federation-trial observation training-event-2010 (full text in English, PDF)
Jul 5, 2010 | News
The ICJ and other Human Rights groups today strongly condemned the conviction, and sentence to three years’ imprisonment, of Mr. Haytham Al-Maleh, a 79 years old prominent Syrian human rights lawyer.
This conviction was ordered on the grounds of “transferring false and exaggerated news that weaken national sentiments”, under Articles 285 and 286 of the Syrian Criminal Code. The charges arise from Mr. Al-Maleh’s interviews with the media in which he criticized, amongst other things, the continued use of the emergency laws in Syria and the ongoing control of the Syrian authorities over the judicial system.
Syria-conviction Al-Maleh-press release-2010 (full text in English, PDF)
