Malta: not here to stay
Malta should abandon its policy of mandatory detention of undocumented migrants and asylum seekers and dedicate resources to significantly improve their reception conditions, says a new ICJ report.
Malta should abandon its policy of mandatory detention of undocumented migrants and asylum seekers and dedicate resources to significantly improve their reception conditions, says a new ICJ report.
The ICJ and ECRE presented a joint detailed submission on the situation of detention, application procedures and remedies for asylum seekers in Greece to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
The ICJ and the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) presented a joint submission to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in occasion of a meeting on the implementation by Greece of the European Court of Human Rights’ judgment in the case of M.S.S. v Belgium and Greece. The submission highlighted legal and practical shortcomings in the Greek system on detention of asylum seekers, conditions of detention, judicial review and access to an effective remedy, living conditions of asylum seekers, access to information and non-refoulement.
Greece-ICJECRE-MSSSubmission-2012 (download the joint submission)
Photo credit: © Stabilisation Unit/DFID (the DFID has no involvement in nor does support this submission)
The report provides a general overview of the pre-trial investigation and the court of appeal hearing in a criminal case in St. Petersburg (Russia) and offers some recommendations based on the main findings.
Having received credible information about possible violations of fair trial principles in a criminal case in St. Petersburg, the ICJ took a decision to send a Mission of observation at the appeal hearing on case # 1-553/10; # 22-2154/2011 at the Saint Petersburg City Court against Gurgen Stepanyan, Vardan Sakanyan, Tigran Arutyunyan. The report provides a general overview of the pre-trial investigation and the court of appeal hearing. As explained below, the appeal hearing was held in camera and despite a request by the ICJ request that it be open for observers, it was closed.
Nevertheless the ICJ observers were able to meet with the Deputy President of the Court and with lawyers involved in the case, and to study documents in the case. The observers express their gratitude to all who met with them and who assisted in the Mission.
Russia-appeal hearing Saint Petersburg-trial observation report-2012-eng (full text in English, PDF)
Russia-appeal hearing Saint Petersburg-trial observation report-2012-rus (full text in Russian, PDF)
Настоящий доклад представляет общую оценку предварительного следствия, слушания по делу в суде первой и кассационной инстанции в уголовном деле в Санкт-Петербурге, и предлагает некоторые рекомендации, основанные на главных выводах.
Получив информацию о возможных нарушениях принципов справедливого судопроизводства в уголовном деле в Санкт-Петербурге, МКЮ приняла решение о проведении Миссии по наблюдению за кассационным слушанием по данному делу в Городском суде Санкт-Петербурга № 1-553/10;.№ 22-2154/2011в отношении Гургена Степаняна, Вардана Саканяна, Тиграна Арутюняна. Поскольку процесс проходил в закрытом режиме, и, несмотря на запрос МКЮ, не был открыт для наблюдателей.
Тем не менее, наблюдатели МКЮ смогли встретиться с заместителем председателя суда и адвокатами в деле, а также изучить материла дела. Наблюдатели выражают свою признательность всем, кто содействовал осуществлению Миссии.
Russia-appeal hearing Saint Petersburg-trial observation report-2012-rus (полный текст на русском, PDF)
The ICJ presented a third party intervention in the case of Kudeshkina v. the Russian Federation before the European Court of Human Rights.
The third party intervention focuses on issues of jurisdiction of the Court, on the right to reparation, and on freedom of expression and the judiciary.
Russian Federation-Written submission-legal submission-2012 (full text in English, PDF)