Sep 25, 2013
The ICJ today joined an open letter to Permanent Representatives to the UN Human Rights Council calling for rejection of proposed revisions to resolutions affecting the work of human rights defenders.
During the course of the Human Rights Council’s 24th regular session (9 to 27 September 2013), two draft resolutions affecting the work of human rights defenders are being negotiated by representatives to the Council: A/HRC/24/L.24 on ‘civil society space’; and A/HRC/24/L.17 on ‘cooperation with the United Nations’. Both are essential to efforts to promote and protect civil society space and to address the issue of reprisals and intimidation against those who cooperate with the UN human rights system.
Amendments to those resolutions – proposed by Cuba, Pakistan and the Russian Federation – run counter to the spirit and purpose of these important resolutions. The International Service for Human Rights, the ICJ and 18 other nongovernmental organisations therefore joined in writing to Permanent Representatives to the Council to reject the proposed amendments.
The resolutions will be considered for adoption during the last two days of the Council session.
HRC24-HumanRightsDefenders-NGOJointLetter-2013 (download letter in PDF)
Aug 23, 2013
The ICJ sent today an open letter to the Cambodian Bar Association, related to the Article 17 of the new Code of Ethics.
The ICJ had previously expressed its concern that the language of Article 17 was ambiguous and raised fears that lawyers will not be able to exercise their right to express their opinions freely.
Cambodia-Final letter to Bar Ass-advocacy-open letters-2013 (full text in pdf)
Aug 16, 2013
The ICJ and Human Rights Watch wrote an open letter to the government of Pakistan regarding its recently announced decision to resume executions.
Pakistan planned on carrying out its first civilian executions in five years by hanging two convicts between 20-22 August 2013.
The letter emphasizes that the death penalty violates the right to life and constitutes cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, and urges the government to immediately halt all executions and adopt a moratorium on the death penalty; abolish the death penalty permanently in domestic law; and accede to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on the abolition of the death penalty.
CONTACT:
Sam Zarifi, ICJ Asia-Pacific Director, (Bangkok), t: +66 807819002; email: sam.zarifi(a)icj.org
Pakistan-ICJ and HRW -Open letter on the resumption of executions – advocay – 2013 (full text in pdf)
Feb 21, 2013
Through this letter the ICJ is asking the Cambodian Bar Association to clarify its views on a few issues related to freedom of expression of the country’s lawyers.
The full text of the letter can be found here:
Cambodia-ICJ letter to bar association- advocacy open letters – 2014
Feb 15, 2013
The ICJ wrote to the Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan to call his attention to the ruling by the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States in the case SERAP vs The Federal republic of Nigeria.
In this case the ECOWAS Court recently ruled that Nigeria had violated its obligations under the Article 24 of the African Charter on Human Rights and People’s Rights, which provides: “All peoples shall have the right to a general satisfactory environment favourable to their development”.
The case concerns activities by oil companies operating in the Niger Delta, whose operations were identified as the cause of severe pollution of water, land and the general environment where people of the Niger Delta live.
The ICJ is asking the Nigerian President to ensure the enforcement of the ruling by the competent authorities in the Niger Delta and the Federal Government.
Nigeria-ICJ letter to President-advocacy-2012 (full text of the letter in pdf)
