Zimbabwe: charges against lawyer Mordecai Mahlangu must immediately be dropped
The ICJ expresses its serious concern at the unlawful detention and prosecution of Mordecai Mahlangu, a prominent human rights and media lawyer from Zimbabwe.
Abu Omar case: no more concessions on accountability
The ICJ today expressed satisfaction that the Italian judiciary and prosecutors have begun to address some of the worst human rights abuses arising in the post-11 September environment.
The Tribunal of Milan convicted 23 of 26 CIA agents charged with the kidnapping and enforced disappearance of Nasr Osama Mustafa Hassan (known as Abu Omar) in February 2003. Abu Omar was abducted by CIA agents from the streets of Milan in February 2003, with the cooperation of Italian officials, and transferred through Germany to Egypt, where he was subjected to torture.
Italy-Abu Omar case-press release-2009 (full text, PDF)
ICJ questions fairness of appeal hearing in case of human rights defender Evgeniy Zhovtis
The ICJ today expressed its concern at deficiencies in the appeal process in which the conviction of the prominent Kazakh human rights defender Evgeniy Zhovtis was upheld this week.
ICJ Commissioner Karinna Moskalenko observed the appeal hearing on 20 October, on behalf of the ICJ, to assess its compliance with international fair trial standards.
Kazakhastan-ICJ questions fairness of appeal hearing-press release-2009-eng (full text, PDF)
Kazakhastan-ICJ questions fairness of appeal hearing-press release-2009-rus (full text, PDF)
Cambodia: tribunal must not use torture “confessions” as a legitimate source of information
What prisoners say or “confess” to under torture should never be admissible in any court proceedings, said the ICJ and other Human Rights groups.
Cambodia-torture-web story-2009 (full text, PDF)
Cambodia-torture-position paper-2009 (full text, PDF)
ICJ condemns misuse of anti-terrorism laws to prosecute Sri Lankan journalist
The ICJ released today its Trial Observation Report on proceedings before the Colombo High Court in the prosecution of J.S. Tissainayagam, a Tamil journalist.
On 31 August 2009, Mr Tissainayagam was convicted under anti-terrorism laws and sentenced by Judge Deepali Wijesundara to 20 years “rigorous imprisonment.”
SriLanka-journalist-news-2009 (full text, PDF)
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