The ICJ and other human rights groups and defenders today condemned the continued detention without charge or trial of human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh in Iran.
They called for her immediate and unconditional release as she is held solely in connection with her work defending others.
Iran-lawyers’ loss freedom-analysis brief-2010 (full text in English, PDF)
Although the conflict between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ended in 2009, thousands of individuals are still detained without charge or trial.
“Beyond Lawful Constraints: Sri Lanka’s Mass Detention of LTTE Suspects” addresses the human rights concerns arising from the world’s largest mass detention of persons held in connection with an internal armed conflict. The ICJ is concerned that the GoSL’s “surrendee” and “rehabilitation” regime fails to adhere to international law and standards, amounting to an arbitrary deprivation of liberty and denial of the right to a fair trial.
Sri Lanka-mass detention LTTE-analysis brief-2010 (full text in English, PDF)
The ICJ and Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF) welcome the ruling the High Court of Fiji to permanently stay the remaining charge under local business licensing regulations against Imrana Jalal.
The high profile manner in which Ms. Jalal was criminally prosecuted for what are normally minor civil charges raised concerns internationally that she was being unfairly targeted by the interim government for her outspoken criticisms of its legitimacy and human rights record.
Fiji-permanent stay charges Jalal-analysis brief-2010 (full text in English, PDF)
The principles of equality and non-discrimination are fundamental tenets of international human rights law, and stand at the heart of international human rights protection.
It is clear that as long as law does not promote and protect women’s equality and as long as law that discriminates against women exists, progress in relation to guaranteeing women’s human rights can only go so far. Although there is no silver bullet to ending all discrimination against women reform of law that discriminates against women and the development and enactment of law that promotes and protects their equality is a critical step.
Women’s inequality before the law and in the administration of justice persists throughout the world and effects women in all countries, of all ages, and in all aspects of their lives. The lack of progress that has been made on this issue, despite repeated international commitments and widely ascribed-to international legal commitments, is widely acknowledged to be appalling.
Law is a formal expression of State policy. Without equality before the law and equal access to justice women have no recourse when they face discrimination in all aspects of their lives.
The ICJ and Amnesty International submitted comments on the draft Guidelines of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on Eradicating Impunity for Serious Human Rights Violations.
Noting that the current draft reflects considerable progress towards strong guidelines on this topic, the comments highlight key issues which remain unresolved or on which the organisations retain concerns as to consistency with international law and standards.
Council of Europe-comments report Steering Committee-analysis brief-2010 (full text in English, PDF)
HRC59: Joint statement in defense of the International Criminal Court – condemning U.S. sanctions and political interference
HRC59: Statement to the Special Rapporteur–confronting global attacks on judicial independence in Guatemala and Tunisia
Eswatini: Authorities fail to make progress in addressing dismal state of the independence of judges and lawyers
Iran/United States: The US must desist from the unlawful use of force