The ICJ called today on the Mexican Parliament to reconsider and amend the laws it adopted on 8 September which effectively give control of public security and law enforcement functions to the Mexican Secretary of Defense (SEDENA).
The ICJ today delivered an oral statement on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, expressing concerns about recent and pending legislation in Pakistan on the use of firearms and other force by law enforcement officials.
The joint statement, delivered at the UN Human Rights Council during the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur and on behalf also of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), expressed appreciation for the Special Rapporteur’s emphasis in his study on the issue, on the need for states to bring domestic laws on the use of force by law enforcement agencies, into line with international standards.
The statement noted that it was not clear whether the Protection of Pakistan Ordinance (PPO) 2013, which is currently in force, and the proposed Protection of Pakistan Bill (PPB) 2014 currently being debated in Parliament, were provided for review.
The statement explained how the PPO and PPB contain provisions that give law enforcement agencies overbroad powers to use firearms without independent accountability, in contravention of international standards. They increase the risk of use of excessive and lethal force and arbitrary deprivation of life.
The full statement may be downloaded in PDF form: Advocacy-HRC26-SREJEs-12062014.
The Report of the Special Rapporteur is available here.
The ICJ submits its comments to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of “the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”.
In this submission the ICJ is drawing the Working Group on the UPR’s and the Human Rights Council’s attention to the frequent allegations of ill-treatment by police either during arrest or in police custody, and the lack of adequate investigations into such allegations. In addition, the Working Group should address the Macedonian Government’s failure to provide for a thorough and independent investigation into the detention at the Macedonian border of Mr Khaled El-Masri, and his subsequent transfer to Afghanistan under the CIA rendition programme.
Macedonia-ICJ Submission to the Universal Periodic Review-non-legal submission-2008 (full text, PDF)
The ICJ just concluded a five-day Mission to Zimbabwe to investigate the facts and law surrounding the reports of recent arrests, detention and beatings of lawyers.
The Bill is due for further debate in the NSW Upper House on Tuesday this week.
Tunisia: Mass guilty verdicts and draconian sentences the ultimate travesty of justice in the “Conspiracy Case”
Eswatini: In the face of ongoing repression of the legal profession, lawyers raise concerns with UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers
Lebanon: the criminal justice system must not be used to intimidate and harass journalists