The ICJ calls for the convictions of Abdulrahman Al-Subaihi, Bandar Al-Nogithan and Abdulrahman Al-Rumaih, three prominent Saudi lawyers, to be quashed and for the Saudi authorities to end their sustained crackdown on lawyers and human rights defenders.
The ICJ today joined a call with six other international NGOs for members and observers of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) to pay special attention to the deteriorating human rights situation in Egypt ahead of and following the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Egypt.
The HRC Working Group on the UPR will, on 5 November 2014, be undertaking a review of the human rights situation in Egypt. This comes at a critical time for human rights, freedoms and independent Egyptian civil society, including rights defenders and democracy activists. Noting that the Government of Egypt has reaffirmed a deadline for 10 November 2014 for all civil society organisations to register with the Government under the highly repressive Law on Associations, the ICJ and others called on members and observers of the HRC to, at a minimum, address several key issues, including:
Egypt-UPR-OpenLetter-2014-EN (download open letter in PDF)
The ICJ has joined other non-governmental organisations to urge the HRC and its members to support a Special Session on Libya.
The aim is to establish a Commission of Inquiry or a similar mechanism to investigate individual criminal responsibility for serious abuses and violations of international human rights and violations of humanitarian law by all sides in this country.
Since May 2014, violent clashes between rival armed groups have intensified and developed into armed conflicts across Libya.
Parties to these conflicts have been responsible of grave and widespread violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.
These include direct and indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian objects, unlawful killings, abductions, forced displacement of civilians, torture and other ill-treatment and arbitrary detentions.
Libya-HRC Special session on accountability and HR violations-Advocacy-Open letters-2014-ENG (full text in PDF)
La CIJ a publié aujourd’hui un nouveau rapport sur les régimes économiques spéciaux et leur impact sur les droits sociaux au Maroc.
Sont concernés notamment les droits à la terre et à l’eau et la sécurité sociale et de l’emploi.
Les régimes économiques spéciaux ont pour but de faciliter les exportations et les investissements dans des domaines comme l’agriculture et le textile.
Cette étude est l’aboutissement d’un projet conduit au Maroc et au Pérou.
Morocco-Droits sociaux et regimes speciaux-Publications-thematic report-2014-FRE (télécharger le rapport en français, PDF)
The ICJ today released its latest report on the impact of special economic regimes on social rights in Morocco. The report (in French) is the result of a research and consultation process started early 2014.
It is the outcome of a project carried out in Morocco and Peru that aims at identifying and illustrating the impact on economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR) of policies and laws that introduce and extend special economic zones and regimes to promote exports and investment in the times of economic crises.
It aims at analysing if and to what extent social rights, including but not exclusively limited to labour rights, become “adjustment variables” for countries in search of economic growth and of increased exports to secure foreign currencies to repay their debts.
The report is also part of a broader programme of work of the ICJ on ESCR in Morocco that has included an analysis of the obstacles and the realities of access to justice for victims of violations of these rights in the country, as well as a dialogue with various national actors on the specific topic of focus in the report.
In this regard, the ICJ is encouraged to see the start of work, among others by the Moroccan national human rights institution, to identify the situation, and specific needs and problems of agricultural workers in the country.
The ICJ will continue to work with these national actors on these matters.
The report is written in French and can be downloaded below:
Morocco-Droits sociaux et regimes speciaux-Publications-thematic report-2014-FRE
ICJ Convenes Latin America Consultation to Strengthen Non-Criminal Justice Pathways for Redress
India: New foreign funding rules tighten control over civil society and undermine the right to freedom of association
Thailand: Strengthening accountability for torture and enforced disappearance in the southern border provinces
Human Rights Council concludes its 62nd session with action on country crises and key human rights challenges