The ICJ and other rights groups welcomed the MoU between the Government of Nepal and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights providing for deployment of an international human rights presence to Nepal.
The ICJ and other human rights groups today called on the international community to stand firm in its response to the human rights crisis in Nepal at the Commission on Human Rights.
The ICJ launched today a new report Nepal: The Rule of Law Abandoned and urges united response at United Nations Commission on Human Rights.
The report sets out nine urgent measures the Maoists and the King’s government should take to tackle the long-standing violations committed by the insurgents and the security forces, as well as the new layer of abuses under the state of emergency.
The security forces have been guilty of gross and systematic violations of human rights, including torture and extrajudicial killings.
The Maoists have been responsible for killings of civilians, and forced recruitment, including of children, and other serious violations of international humanitarian law.
Nepal: The Rule of Law Abandoned [full text, PDF]
King Gyanendra (photo) has abandoned the rule of law and deepened the conflict in Nepal since assuming direct power and suspending almost all rights under a state of emergency, said the ICJ.
The ICJ begins a four-day high-level mission today to assess the impact of the state of emergency on the human rights situation.
Focus will be on allegations of human rights violations perpetrated against human rights defenders, civilians and student and political leaders in Kathmandu and in the districts and to discuss with the government avenues through which to they could address the deepening human rights crisis. The Mission is led by ICJ Secretary-General Nicholas Howen.
Nepal is in the midst of a human rights crisis, marked by enforced disappearances, extrajudicial executions, torture and secret detention and impunity of the security forces. The Maoists have engaged in a pattern of violations of international humanitarian law, including summary killings of non-combatants and recruitment of child soldiers.
While in Nepal, the mission team will meet with senior government and army officials, the National Human Rights Commission, leading members of the bar, non-governmental human rights organisations, human rights victims and the diplomatic community.
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