Posts Tagged ‘impunity’
May 1, 2014
Human Rights Defenders do not only suffer repression but campaign to get things improved. Success is not always as widely reported as drama, so I draw your attention to the AP story (as it appeared in the Washington Post of 1 May 2014) that Mexico’s parliamentarians have unanimously agreed to change Mexico’s military justice code that will allow members of the armed forces who commit crimes against civilians to be tried in civilian courts. This is a historic change that human rights defenders have been demanding for years.
[The changes come after the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled in five cases filed by Mexicans who suffered abuse at the hands of soldiers. It ordered that those cases be tried in civilian courts and told Mexico to change its military code of justice.]
Mario Patron, deputy director of Mexico’s Human Rights Centre Miguel Agustin Pro Juarez, said the military code “was subjecting civilian victims to a jurisdiction that is neither independent nor impartial.” He said the reform is a clear step forward, but suggested that cases of soldiers whose human rights have been violated by other soldiers should also go to civilian court
Mexico lawmakers OK civilian courts for soldiers – The Washington Post.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: civilian courts, Criminal justice, Human Rights Defenders, impunity, Law, Mexico, military courts, military justice code, Parliament, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights
April 23, 2014
On 21 April 2014, the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Network announced the loss of its founding member, Osman Hummaida. Mr Hummaida, who died of natural causes on Thursday 17th April 2014, was a leading Sudanese human rights defender and an inspiration to countless activists in the international and African human rights community. He advocated for human rights in Sudan, challenging the impunity of those responsible for atrocities carried out against civilians. Forced to leave Sudan, having been detained and tortured on account of his work, Mr Hummaida founded the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies in exile. The Centre’s success and strength in documenting and reporting ongoing human rights violations in the country and advocating for justice is a living testament to Mr Hummaida’s vision and determination.
via Human Rights Defenders Mourn the Loss of Osman Hummaida – East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Africa, African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies, death, East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Network, East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project, exile, human rights, Human rights defender, impunity, in memoriam, Osman Hummaida, Sudan
March 28, 2014
Vigil for Cao Shunli in March 2014 in Dublin – (c) Front Line
Didi Kirsten Tatlow reports in The New York Times of 28 March how the issue of Cao Shunli’s death in detention in China has not ended. A lawyer for Cao Shunli said her family wants an independent autopsy by pathologists from outside China, saying they do not trust local pathologists or the police to make an accurate report. “If we can we would like to invite an international expert or an international expert organization to come here to do an autopsy,” said the lawyer, Ms Wang Yu. “’The family has not requested an autopsy yet, though they want one, because they don’t trust anyone here to do a fair job,” [The Beijing Lawyers Association and the Beijing Municipal Justice Bureau seem to be putting pressure on the lawyer] Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Front Line, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, ISHR | Leave a Comment »
Tags: autopsy, Beijing Lawyers Association, Beijing Municipal Justice Bureau, Cao Shunli, China, death, detention center, Front Line (NGO), Hans Thoolen, Human Rights Defenders, human rights lawyers, illegal detention, impunity, ISHR, Liu, medical care, New York Times, reprisals, UN Human Rights Council, UPR, Wang Yu, woman human rights defender
March 22, 2014
While this blog tries to focus on human rights defenders rather than the general human rights situation, there are exceptions. This is simply to draw attention to the Central African Republic which is descending into utter barbarity. The issue is not human rights defenders, but pure survival. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, back from a short visit, does not mince her words:
“The UN’s top human rights official warned Thursday that the hatred between Christian and Muslim communities in Central African Republic is “at a terrifying level” and a state of near-anarchy means even those carrying bloody machetes and holding severed body parts in their hands are not arrested. Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: CAR, Central African Republic, chaos, genocide, High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, human rights, impunity, killings, mass violations, massacre, Navanethem Pillay, religious hatred, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, violence
March 4, 2014
(High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay at the 25th session of the Human Rights Council. UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré)
Yesterday, 3 March 2014, the top UN functionaries opened the 25th session of the UN Human Rights Council with calls for the protection of members of civil society who pursue justice in their countries (a long euphemism for Human Rights Defenders).
“Streets, airwaves, entire countries are buzzing with demands for economic, social and political justice,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said. Setting out this agenda and acknowledging the hard work that lay ahead in ensuring that all people enjoyed equal rights, Ms. Pillay emphasized the important role of civil society in those efforts. “We need to work together to ensure that the space, voice and knowledge of civil society is nurtured in all our countries,” she stressed. Recalling reports of what she labelled “intolerable” reprisals against people who coöperate with the UN’s human rights activities, she called for more action to protect them. “The UN itself is required to protect and support those who contribute to its work, often at great personal risk,” she said.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon added on this point that, “No one should have to risk their life for standing up and speaking out on violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.” Civil society was the representative of “We the Peoples,” as cited in the opening of the UN Charter, and that it must be able to carry out its vital work, “free of reprisals and intimidation.” In that context, the Secretary-General highlighted the “Rights Up Front” action plan that he launched last year to ensure that human rights considerations were the top priority in all UN activities. “This initiative seeks to ensure that the United Nations system leverages the full breadth of its mandates to protect people at risk,” he said. [https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2013/12/26/rights-up-front-presented-by-jan-eliason-it-is-irrefutable-that-serious-human-rights-violations-are-the-best-early-warning-of-atrocities/]
Interesting to note that while in Geneva, the Secretary-General met 4 NGOs: the International Service for Human Rights, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the International Commission of Jurists. Their discussion certainly stressed human rights defenders and the importance of protecting them from attacks.
via United Nations News Centre – UN Human Rights Council opens with calls to protect, support civil society activism.
Posted in AI, HRW, human rights, Human Rights Council, Human Rights Defenders, ICJ, ISHR, OHCHR | Leave a Comment »
Tags: AI, Ban Ki-moon, Civil society, Geneva, High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, HRW, human rights, Human Rights Council, Human Rights Defenders, ICJ, impunity, international procedures, ISHR, Navanethem Pillay, Navi Pillay, NGOs, Protection of Human Rights Defenders, reprisals, retaliation, Rights up Front, SG, UN, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations Human Rights Council
February 28, 2014
In this post I draw your attention to two annual reports: The US State Department released its Country Reports 2013 and Front Line Defenders published its “2014 Annual Report” which somewhat confusingly covers 2013. The last one is the most interesting from the perspective of this blog as the focus is of course on Human Rights Defenders. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in books, Front Line, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: annual report 2013, Country Reports 2013, Front Line Defenders, Human Rights Defenders, human rights violations, impunity, mass surveillance, resource extraction, US State Department, USA
November 23, 2013
A report issued on 18 November 18, 2013 by the American Bar Association, Georgetown Human Rights Institute, and the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, entitled “Tilted Scales: Social Conflict and Criminal Justice in Guatemala” describes how human rights defenders, civil society organizations, and indigenous community groups in Guatemala operate in a dangerous environment where they live under constant threat. “The Guatemalan judicial system is being utilized to harass and intimidate human rights defenders, especially in the context of disputes between businesses and indigenous communities over property rights and land use” said Santiago A. Canton, Director of Partners for Human Rights at the RFK Center. “Human rights defenders and indigenous leaders are targeted with threats and violence, and find themselves faced with false criminal charges, while their perpetrators go unpunished.”
Attorneys and civil society leaders reported that disputes between indigenous communities and extractive companies resulted from the governments failure to hold culturally appropriate, prior consultations in good faith as required under international law. The report also questions the compliance of multilateral banks and multinational corporations with international standards. RFK Center President Kerry Kennedy added that “Many defenders report that ex-military officers who committed abuses during the internal armed conflict are now intimidating locals and committing crimes with impunity in the communities where they work.” The authors explain that defenders must contend with widely published derogatory and inflammatory statements against them, in addition to the possibility of being physically attacked or falsely accused of a crime. “Peaceful human rights activists have been labeled as terrorists by prominent commentators, including leaders affiliated with business interests” said Katharine Valencia co-author of the report. The report emphasizes the Guatemalan governments obligations under the American Convention on Human Rights to protect the physical integrity of citizens; guarantee the independence of judicial authorities; thoroughly and impartially investigate allegations of criminal activity; and protect against arbitrary detention and prolonged, unjustified pretrial detention. The report also stresses that prior to the development of projects in indigenous territories, the state must engage in good-faith, culturally appropriate, and fully informed consultations with affected communities. Finally, the report calls upon extractive industries and financial institutions to justly compensate communities that have been displaced or otherwise adversely impacted by business activity, and urges compliance with reparations agreements related to the internal armed conflict.
via New Report: Guatemala Must Immediately Protect Human Rights Defenders – The Paramus Post – Greater Paramus News and Lifestyle Webzine.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 3 Comments »
Tags: American Bar Association, Civil society, corporate accountability, Criminal justice, environmental issues, Georgetown Human Rights Institute, Guatemala, Human right, human rights, Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, impunity, independence of the judiciary, Indigenous People, Kerry Kennedy, local communities, resource extraction, Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, Santiago Canton
November 18, 2013
Today, 18 November, a group of 14 Africa-based NGOs came out with a strong statement supporting the ICC which has its annual meeting coming up 20-28 November in the Hague: “African governments should reject special exemptions for sitting officials before the International Criminal Court (ICC)“, African organizations and international organizations with a presence in Africa said in a document released today. The ICC faces important challenges in Africa. In October the African Union said that the trials of Kenya’s president and vice president, Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto, should be suspended
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in FIDH, HRW, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, ICJ, OMCT | 2 Comments »
Tags: Africa, African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, african NGOs, African Union, East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project, ICC, impunity, International Criminal Court, international criminal law, Kenya, Kenya Human Rights Commission, NGOs, Security Council, Uhuru Kenyatta, United Nations Security Council, William Ruto
November 4, 2013
The State of Honduras fails to comply with the implementation of protection measures for human rights defenders (HRD) at risk. For this reason, last Monday 28th October, state representatives appeared in a public hearing before the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights in Washington D.C.
This hearing was requested by the Centre for Human Rights Research and Promotion (CIPRODEH), the Committee of the Families of Detained and Disappeared Persons in Honduras (COFADEH), the Team for the Reflection, Research and Communication of the Society of Jesus in Honduras (ERIC-SJ), Protection International (PI) and the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL).
The participating organisations denounced the ineffectiveness of the interim and precautionary measures granted by the Inter-American Court and the Commission of Human Rights, after finding many shortcomings faced by the beneficiaries, who continue to be threatened. Likewise, punctual observations were made encompassing the various limitations and loopholes under the draft law named “Law on Protection for Human Rights Defenders, Journalists, Social Communicators and Justice Operators”, pending approval by the National Congress since august 2013. Finally some cases were highlighted, illustrating the risks that human rights defenders continue to face to the date in Honduras. Among others, special mention was made of the recent murder of Manuel de Jesús Varela Murillo, who was receiving protection measures.
The organisations called on national authorities to submit the above-mentioned draft law to a wide dialogue, in a participative and transparent way, for the purpose of establishing a mechanism to protect effectively human rights defenders. Finally, the CIDH was requested to visit Honduras to verify the reported risk situation, in order to provide appropriate recommendations.
via Honduras does not protect human rights defenders | | Protection InternationalProtection International.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Associated Press, disappearances, environmental issues, Honduras, Human right, Human Rights and Liberties, Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, impunity, Inter-American Human Rights Commission, Manuel de Jesús Varela Murillo, murder, PI, Protection International, State of Honduras, threats
November 2, 2013
A three-day Forum on the participation of African NGOs at the 54th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights [ACHPR] and also the 28th African Human Rights Book Fair concluded on Sunday, 20th October, 2013 in Kololi. The forum brought together stakeholders dealing with various human rights issues from different parts of Africa. Various reports were presented that touched on media freedom and freedom of expression as well as on laws and principles governing media practice such as defamation, sedition and other draconian laws that prevail in many African countries. Kebba Jeffang reports in the Foroyaa newspaper of 21 October on the results:
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 4 Comments »
Tags: Africa, African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, African countries, African Human Rights Book Fair, Article 19, east africa, Eskinder Nega, Ethiopia, Foroyaa, freedom of expression, Horn of Africa, Human right, human rights, Human rights defender, impunity, journalists, media, Media and Human Rights, meeting, Non-governmental organization, right to freedom of expression, Surveillance, the African Commission on Human, Uganda, Zimbabwe
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 