Oct 14, 2019 | Multimedia items, News, Video clips
The conviction today of Catalan separatist leaders of broadly defined offences of sedition unduly restricts rights of freedom of expression, assembly and association, the ICJ said today.
“These convictions represent a serious interference with the exercise of freedom of expression, association and assembly of the leaders. The resort to the law of sedition to restrict the exercise of these rights is unnecessary, disproportionate and ultimately unjustifiable” said Massimo Frigo, ICJ Europe and Central Asia Senior Legal Adviser.
The ICJ also stressed that the overly broad definition of the crime of sedition applied in this case creates a high risk of arbitrariness.
“We are concerned that the Supreme Court does not comply with Spain’s obligations under international human rights law in the consideration of the charges against these defendants and this seriously undermines these convictions,” he added.
Nine of the twelve leaders on trial – including high-ranking Catalan government officials –were convicted of sedition in connection with their part in the administration on 1 October 2017 of a referendum on Catalonian independence. The referendum was conducted despite having been declared illegal by the Constitutional Court.
The voting process during the referendum was forcibly suppressed in many locations by the police, with credible reports of the use of unnecessary and disproportionate force in breach of Spain’s international law obligations.
“Interference with peaceful political expression and protest is not acceptable, save in limited circumstances where it is strictly necessary and proportionate for compelling purposes such as national security .” Frigo said.
Contact
Massimo Frigo, Senior Legal Adviser, ICJ Europe Programme, t: +41 22 979 38 05 ; e: massimo.frigo(a)icj.org
Background
The 12 people convicted in connection with the October 2017 referendum include Oriol Junqueras (13 years of imprisonment for sedition and abuse of power), former Catalan vice-president; Carme Forcadell, former Catalan parliament speaker (11 years and six months of imprisonment for sedition); eight former ministers in the Catalan government – Jordi Turull (12 years of imprisonment for sedition and abuse of power), Raül Romeva (12 years of imprisonment for sedition and abuse of power), Joaquim Forn (10 years and six months of imprisonment for sedition), Santiago Vila (10 months for disobedience), Meritxel Borràs (10 months for disobedience), Dolors Bassa (12 years of imprisonment for sedition and abuse of power), Josep Rull (10 years and six months of imprisonment for sedition), Carles Mundó (10 months for disobedience); Jordi Sànchez (9 years of imprisonment for sedition) the former leader of the Catalan National Assembly (ANC); and Jordi Cuixart (9 years of imprisonment for sedition), former head of the independence organisation Òmnium Cultural.
Spain has obligations to protect freedom of expression, including political expression, under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR); and freedom of peaceful assembly and association under Article 11 ECHR and Article 21 and 22 ICCPR.
The Human Rights Committee in its General Comment on freedom of expression has affirmed that: “extreme care must be taken by States parties to ensure that treason laws and similar provisions relating to national security, whether described as official secrets or sedition laws or otherwise, are crafted and applied in a manner that conforms to the strict requirements of paragraph 3” of article 19 ICCPR, which requires that restrictions on freedom of expression be provided for by law and must be necessary for a legitimate purpose, such as national security or public order .) Rights to participate in public life are protected under Article 25 ICCPR.
Oct 14, 2019 | Comunicados de prensa, Multimedia, Noticias
La condena impuesta hoy a los líderes independentistas catalanes por una amplia definición del delito de sedición restringe excesivamente e ilegalmente los derechos de libertad de expresión, asamblea y asociación, dijo hoy la CIJ.
“Estas condenas representan una grave interferencia con el ejercicio de la libertad de expresión, asociación y asamblea de los líderes catalanes. El recurso a la ley de sedición para restringir el ejercicio de estos derechos es innecesaria, desproporcionada e injustificable” dijo Massimo Frigo, asesor legal senior para la CIJ en Europa y Asia Central.
La CIJ también puntualizó que la excesivamente amplia definición del delito de sedición aplicada en este caso crea un alto riesgo de arbitrariedad.
“Nos preocupa que el Tribunal Supremo no haya tenido totalmente en cuenta las obligaciones de España bajo el derecho internacional de los derechos humanos en su consideración de los cargos contra estos acusados lo cual mina seriamente sus condenas” añadió.
Nueve de los doce líderes politicos procesados – incluyendo altos cargos del gobierno catalán – han sido condenados por sedición en conexión con su contribución a la administración el 1 de octubre de 2017 de un referéndum sobre la independencia de Cataluña. El referéndum se llevó acabo pese haber sido declarado ilegal por el Tribunal Constitucional.
El proceso de voto durante el referéndum fue reprimido por la fuerza en muchas localidades por la policía, con informes creíbles de uso innecesario y desproporcionado de la fuerza en violación de las obligaciones de España en derecho internacional.
“La intereferencia con la expresión y protesta política pacífica es inacceptable, salvo en limitadas circunstancias en las que sea estrictamente necesario y proporcionado por razones convincentes como la seguridad nacional.” dijo Frigo.
Contacto
Massimo Frigo, asesor legal senior, Programa Europeo de la CIJ, t: +41 22 979 38 05 ; e:massimo.frigo(a)icj.org
Antecedentes
Las doce personas que han sido condenadas en conexión con el referéndum de Octubre de 2017 incluyen a Oriol Junqueras, ex-vicepresidente de la Generalitat catalana; Carme Forcadell, ex-presidenta del Parlament catalán; ocho ex-consejeros del Gobierno catalán – Jordi Turull, Raül Romeva, Joaquim Forn, Santi Vila, Meritxel Borràs, Dolors Bassa, Josep Rull, Carles Mundó -; Jordi Sànchez, ex-líder de la Asamblea Nacional Catalana (ANC), y Jordi Cuixart, ex-líder de la organización independentista Òmnium Cultural.
España tiene obligación de proteger la libertad de expresión, incluyendo la expresión política, bajo el artículo 10 de la Convención Europea de Derechos Humanos (ECHR, por sus siglas en inglés) y el artículo 19 del Pacto Internacional de Derechos Civiles y Políticos (ICCPR, por sus siglas en inglés), y la libertad de asamblea y asociación pacíficas bajo el artículo 11 de ECHR y los artículos 21 y 22 de ICCPR.
El Comentario General sobre libertad de expresión del Comité de Derechos Humanos afirma que Los Estados partes deben procurar con el mayor cuidado que las leyes sobre traición y las disposiciones similares que se refieren a la seguridad nacional, tanto si se califican de leyes sobre secretos de Estado o sobre sedición, o de otra manera, estén redactadas y se apliquen de conformidad con las condiciones estrictas del párrafo 3 del artículo 19 del ICCPR, lo cual requiere que las restricciones en la libertad de expresión estén legisladas y que sean necesarias en base a propósito legítimo, como la seguridad nacional o el orden público. El derecho a participar en la vida pública está protegido bajo el artículo 25 de ICCPR.
Oct 14, 2019 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
The ICJ has presented information to the UN Committee against Torture in preparation for the Committee’s examination of the fifth periodic report of Uzbekistan under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
In its submission, the ICJ addresses Uzbekistan’s legislation on extradition, its potential discrepancies with international law.
The ICJ welcomes the recent ratification of the Commonwealth of Independent States (hereafter, “CIS”) Convention on Legal Assistance and Legal Relations in Civil, Family and Criminal Matters 2002, known as the Chisinau Convention, as a positive step towards the compliance of the country’s extradition system with international standards
In it report, the ICJ formulates the following recommendations to Uzbekistan:
- Fully implement human rights and procedural safeguards and guarantees in extradition proceedings or in connection with other types of transfers, and interpret and apply such safeguards in accordance with Uzbekistan’s international human rights law obligations. In particular, Uzbekistan should take all necessary measures to fully implement the human rights guarantees featured in the Chisinau Convention into its domestic legislation.
- Implement the necessary reforms to give judicial authorities the central decision-making role in extradition proceedings, and ensure their full independence both at an institutional and personal level, in law and in practice. Extradition decisions should be taken by prosecutors only if they enjoy the same level of independence as judges, in law and in practice.
- Ensure that individuals extradited to face trial in Uzbekistan courts are awarded the full protection of the Convention.
- Take effective measures to prevent torture and other forms of ill-treatment, including by ensuring compliance with the non-refoulement principle in extradition proceedings.
- Carry out effective, independent and impartial investigations with a view to identifying persons directly and indirectly responsible for rendition operations and abduction practices, as they violate human rights and involve crimes under international law. Those responsible should be prosecuted, tried and, if convicted, sentenced to punishments commensurate with the gravity of their crimes, and to appropriate administrative sanctions to ensure non-repetition.
Uzbekistan-CAT-Advocacy-non legal submission-2019-ENG (download the submission in English)
Oct 14, 2019 | Events, News
This side event will take place on Wednesday, 16 October 2019 at 13h00-15h00 in room XXIV of Palais des Nations, Geneva.
The ICJ and FRIEDRICH EBERT STIFTUNG invite you to a discussion about the article 6 of the Revised draft of a legally binding instrument on TNCs and other business enterprises to assess its content and coverage. The discussion will have a focus on whether its various paragraphs adequately address issues such as parent company and lead buyer liability in relation to harm caused by their subsidiaries or suppliers to human rights and labor rights.
The panel will feature:
- Doug Cassel (by video), University of Notre Dame
- Makbule Sahan, International Trade Union Confederation
- Markus Krajewski, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
- Olivier de schutter, University of Louvain
Moderator
- Ian Seiderman, ICJ Legal and Policy Director
Side event Legal liability (flyer of the event, in PDF)
Oct 12, 2019 | Agendas, Events
Today begins in Izmir (Turkey) a one-day workshop for lawyers and CSO practitioners on the use and strategies of UN mechanisms and of their decisions in domestic courts.
This event is organized by ICJ, in cooperation with its partners Kapasite Geliştirme Derneği and Human Rights Joint Platform, as part a/the EU co-financed project Rebuilding and Ensuring Access to justice with civil society in Turkey.
30 lawyers and civil society practitioners are taking part in the workshop on 12 October in Izmir.
The workshop aims at discussing the functioning of the UN human rights mechiansms (treaty bodies and charter-based bodies) as well as their follow up procedures and the implementation of their decisions in the domestic legal framework in Turkey.
The workshop will provide presentations on the functioning of UN mechanisms by international expert, including from OHCHR, on the value of UN decisions under Turkish law, as well as discussions and brainstorming on how to use UN decisions in Turkey.
The project is funded by the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) of the European Union.
Turkey-Workshop-Agenda-UNmechanisms-Izmir-2019-eng (download the agenda in English)
Turkey-Workshop-Agenda-UNmechanisms-Izmir-2019-tur (download the agenda in Turkish)
