The ICJ and Amnesty International welcome the initiative of the Committee of Ministers to prepare guidelines on the obligations of Council of Europe Member States to prevent and counter impunity.
The ICJ expressed concern at the deteriorating situation in Sri Lanka and welcomed the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ emphasis on countering discrimination, including on the grounds of sexual orientation.
The ICJ also called on the Council to consider establishing a dedicated mandate – such as the Early-warning Commission – to identify the emergence of human rights violations in crisis situations and make recommendations to the UN to prevent human rights violations and ensure accountability of their perpetrators.
SriLanka-humanrightsviolations-web story-2010 (full text, PDF)
This year, the prize in memory of Per Anger is being awarded to the human rights activist Brahim Dahane, defender of human rights in Western Sahara.
The ICJ addressed the persistent failure of Iran to meet many of its human rights obligations and the wave of fresh human rights violations in the country in the aftermath of the June 2009 disputed presidential election.
The ICJ urged Iran to refrain from torture and ill treatment, end violations of freedoms of expression and assembly, abolish the death penalty and co-operate with international human rights mechanisms, including the Special Procedures of the UN Human Rights Council and the treaty bodies.
Iran-UPR-advocacy-2009 (full text, PDF)
I was deeply saddened and appalled to learn of the cruel abduction and murder of Natalya Estemirova. She was one of the most courageous and inspiring human rights defenders I have met.
HRC60: Statement by the International Commission of Jurists in the Interactive Dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur on truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence
HRC60: International Commission of Jurists in the General Debate under Item 2
Serbia: Political leaders must cease interference with the judiciary
Asia Pacific Region: human rights defenders consider how to address new UN Cybercrime Convention