Sri Lanka: the Government must urgently relieve the crisis faced by up to 280,000 internally displaced persons

Sri Lanka: the Government must urgently relieve the crisis faced by up to 280,000 internally displaced persons

The ICJ welcomes the convening of a Human Rights Council’s special session today in Geneva to address for the first time the humanitarian and human rights crisis in Sri Lanka.

“The human rights and humanitarian crisis continues to unfold following the Government of Sri Lanka’s announcement last week that its military operations against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had ended and that all civilians had left the conflict zone,” said Wilder Tayler, Acting Secretary General of the International Commission of Jurists.

SriLanka-UNcouncil-IDPs-news-2009 (full text, PDF)

 

 

 

The international community must increase pressure on the government of Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers to protect civilians

The international community must increase pressure on the government of Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers to protect civilians

The ICJ is urging the international community to take further steps to ensure the Government of Sri Lanka addresses the dire humanitarian and human rights situation in the country.

Currently, up to 50,000 civilians are trapped within the shrinking conflict zone in the Vanni district on the north-eastern coast and 196,000 people have fled the conflict zone.

Sri Lanka-The International Community must increase pressure-Press releases-2009 (full text, PDF)

Submission to the Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Submission to the Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The ICJ drew attention to the persistent violence and the deteriorating human rights and humanitarian situation mainly due to the repeated and large-scale armed conflicts in the country.

It urged the Council to call for urgent measures to establish the rule of law, curb impunity and ensure the protection of civilians and internally displaced persons and full enjoyment of human rights for the population.

DR Congo-UPR-non-legal submission-2009 (full text, PDF)

Alarming situation of human rights in the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Alarming situation of human rights in the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The ICJ urges all parties to the armed conflict in the East of the DRC to protect civilians from human rights and international humanitarian law violations, including from rape.

The Government is responsible for upholding the principle of command responsibility and accountability for abuses, which requires the operation of independent and ordinary courts and tribunals and bolstering the cooperation with the International Criminal Court.

Democratic Republic of Congo-ICJ Intervention on the Situation of Human Rights-non-legal submission-2008 (full text, PDF)

ICJ submission to the universal periodic review on Sri Lanka

ICJ submission to the universal periodic review on Sri Lanka

The ICJ addressed in its submission the deteriorating human rights situation, occurring in the context of an armed conflict and emergency anti-terrorism measures that have weakened the rule of law.

The ICJ also raised an appalling prevalence of impunity for violations of human rights and international humanitarian law and the lack of capacity by state institutions and mechanisms to protect people from increasing human rights violations.

Sri Lanka-ICJ Submission to the Universal Periodic Review-Non-judicial submissions-2008 (full text, PDF)

Translate »