Syria: accountability for human rights violations and international crimes paramount, security council must act

Syria: accountability for human rights violations and international crimes paramount, security council must act

The ICJ and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) stressed that accountability for human rights violations and alleged crimes is paramount, including for all those under the command of the Syrian authorities.

These include members of the Presidential Guard, the Fourth Division of the Army and the Shabbiha “civilian militia” forces.

The ICJ and OMCT welcomed the resolution adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council, strongly condemning the continued grave and systematic human rights violations committed by the Syrian authorities and establishing an independent Commission of Inquiry to investigate the human rights situation in the country.

Syria-violation of human rights-non-legal submission-2011 (full text, PDF)

ICJ-OMCT joint oral intervention on the situation of human rights in Syria

ICJ-OMCT joint oral intervention on the situation of human rights in Syria

During a second special session on the human rights situation in Syria, the ICJ and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) addressed the Human Rights Council.

They welcomed the strong terms of the draft resolution before the Council and called for unanimous adoption of the resolution; they also called for action by all States in their capacity as members of the Security Council, or as States who might influence the Security Council, to urge the Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.

Syria-violation of human rights-non-legal submission-2011 (full text, PDF)

Photo by Freedom House

Seventh anniversary of the killing of Maina Sunuwar: end obstruction of justice and respect victim’s rights!

Seventh anniversary of the killing of Maina Sunuwar: end obstruction of justice and respect victim’s rights!

Seven years after the arrest and killing of Maina Sunuwar, the Government of Nepal should take immediate steps to ensure that criminal proceedings move forward, the ICJ and other Human Rights groups said today.

Advocacy Forum (AF), Amnesty International (AI), Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the ICJ express their solidarity with Maina’s family, and call on the Nepali authorities to immediately transfer Major Niranjan Basnet to the Kavre District Court where he has been charged with murder, and arrest Babi Khatri, Sunil Prasad Adhikari and Amit Pun who have all been implicated in her death.

That Maina’s family is still waiting for justice for her killing, as in so many cases of crimes during the armed conflict, suggests that the realization of victims’ right to a judicial remedy for serious crimes remains a distant dream in Nepal.

Nepal-MainaSunuwar-news-2011 (full text, PDF)

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