Two members of the ICJ Eminent Jurists Panel on Terrorism, Counter-terrorism and Human Rights, an independent group of eight experts appointed by the ICJ in 2005, ended their visit to Canada today.
Nicholas Howen, ICJ Secretary-General, delivered the keynote speech at the conference “International Law in an Age of Conflict”, which was held in Damascus, Syria.
In its November 2006 written submission to this instance, the ICJ analyses the international law obligations of the United States in relation to renditions.
The ICJ also analyses the human rights obligations of European states which actively co-operate in renditions or secret detentions, or fail to take adequate steps to protect against them.
It concludes that, in light of the systematic nature of the breaches of norms of higher international law, including the prohibition against torture, involved in the system of renditions and secret detentions, there are obligations on European states, not only to refrain from co-operation with or recognition of this system, but to take co-operative measures to bring the situation to an end. The full submission is attached below.
Europe-European Parliament-CIA transportation detention prisoners-non-judicial submission-2006 (full text, PDF)
The ICJ today urged the King of Bahrain in a letter not to promulgate a law on counter-terrorism that risks creating a legal framework prone to abuse.
The Knesset Committee should not adopt legislation that would authorize persons suspected of security offences to be held in prolonged incommunicado detention and without habeas corpus, says the ICJ.
USA/Israel/Palestine: Immediately rescind sanctions against UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese
Strong push back against US sanctions on the International Criminal Court at UN Human Rights Council
ECtHR Grand Chamber Ruling in Semenya v. Switzerland: Joint Statement of Third-Party Interveners
UN Human Rights Council struggles to fulfil its mandate in the midst of global attacks on human rights, the rule of law and multilateralism