Search Results for “war on terror” – International Justice Resource Center

European Court of Human Rights Hears Extraordinary Rendition Cases, as "War on Terror" Controversies Continue

December 11, 2013 IJRC African System, European System, Inter-American System, interim measures, international human rights, liberty & security of person, right to life, security & rule of law

Over the past week, the European Court of Human Rights has held hearings in several cases relating to the “war on terror,” at the same time as the United States has forcibly repatriated two Guantanamo Bay detainees, despite their fears of persecution. The following post summarizes these developments and – in follow-up to this previous post – also surveys recent advances in other

Special Tribunal for Lebanon Announces New Terrorism Charges Against Ayyash

September 19, 2019 IJRC international criminal law, internationalized criminal tribunals

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) announced new charges on September 16, 2019 against Salim Jamil Ayyash relating to his alleged involvement in the 2004 and 2005 attacks targeting Lebanese politicians Marwan Mohammed Hamade, Georges Anis Hawi, and Elias Miche El-Murr. [STL Press Release] The new charges are separate from the pending charges against Ayyash, and three other defendants, in

Documentation, Local Prosecutions Advance Accountability for War Crimes in Syria

May 12, 2016 IJRC armed conflict, civil society, domestic courts, International Criminal Court, international criminal law, international human rights, international humanitarian law, internationalized criminal tribunals, right to life, torture

Germany recently began its first prosecution for alleged war crimes in Syria, joining the several States and private actors seeking accountability for atrocities committed in the ongoing conflict in Syria. [The New Arab] Despite the lack of a final peace agreement, human rights experts are encouraging State governments to take steps to bring to justice those responsible for war crimes

Special Rapporteur Highlights Freedom of Speech in Counterterrorism Measures

March 23, 2016 IJRC international human rights, security & rule of law, UN Special Procedures

Before the United Nations Human Rights Council on March 15, 2016, the UN Special Rapporteur on the protection and promotion of human rights while countering terrorism, Ben Emmerson, presented his report focused on violent extremism and the human rights implications of measures taken to eradicate it. See Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights

Expanded U.S. Program Includes Rewards for Information Leading to Arrest of ICC Suspects

April 22, 2013 IJRC international criminal law, international humanitarian law, transitional justice

Earlier this month, the United States announced an expansion of its program offering monetary incentives for information leading to the arrest or conviction of designated non-U.S. nationals wanted on suspicion of committing crimes against humanity, genocide or war crimes. The program had previously been limited to individuals indicted by three international or internalized criminal tribunal tribunals: the Special Court for Sierra

G8 Nations Pledge to Fight Sexual Violence during Conflict by Increasing Awareness, Victim Support and Law Enforcement Capacity

April 16, 2013 IJRC international criminal law, international human rights, international humanitarian law

During a meeting of foreign ministers in London on April 11, 2013, the Group of Eight (G8) nations endorsed the Declaration on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, a new initiative to fight rape and sexual violence. Reiterating that rape and sexual violence are war crimes and violations of international humanitarian law under the Geneva Conventions, G8 foreign ministers pledged $35.5

1983 Beirut Bombing Victims Awarded $1 Billion in Punitive Damages

April 4, 2010 IJRC civil litigation, security & rule of law, U.S. courts

On March 31, the U.S. District Court for the District of Colombia issued its final judgment in Valore v. Islamic Republic of Iran, awarding the survivors and victims’ estates over $1 billion in damages. The plaintiffs alleged tort liability under the amended the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act and District of Colombia law for the deaths, injuries, and pain and suffering caused

IACHR Finds U.S. Responsible for Torture, Refoulement of Guantanamo Detainee

June 10, 2020 IJRC armed conflict, due process & judicial protection, equal protection, Inter-American System, international human rights, international humanitarian law

In its first decision concerning the “war on terror,” the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has found the United States responsible for violating the human rights of Djamel Ameziane, a former detainee at the Guantánamo Bay detention facility. See IACHR, Merits Report No. 29/20, Case 12.865, Djamel Ameziane (United States), 22 April 2020. Ameziane is an Algerian national who

Human Rights Committee: Australia Violated Guantanamo Transferee’s Right to Liberty

February 23, 2016 IJRC armed conflict, domestic courts, due process & judicial protection, European System, international criminal law, international human rights, international humanitarian law, liberty & security of person, reparations, security & rule of law, U.S. courts, UN treaty bodies

The United Nations Human Rights Committee has found Australia in violation of the right to liberty protected by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) due to its continued detention of Guantanamo Bay prisoner David Hicks following his transfer to Australia, despite evidence that the American military proceedings against him had been unfair. See UN Human Rights Committee, Hicks v. Australia,

Extraordinary Rendition Victim Seeks Reconsideration from ACHPR in Djibouti Complaint

December 5, 2014 IJRC African System, due process & judicial protection, liberty & security of person, security & rule of law, Uncategorized

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has rejected a complaint concerning Djibouti’s alleged involvement in the extraordinary rendition and mistreatment of a Yemeni national, in an inadmissibility decision released last month. See ACommHPR, Mohammed Abdullah Saleh Al-Asad v. Djibouti, Communication No. 383/2010, 55th Ordinary Session, 14 October 2014. The Commission held that evidence pointing to the wrongful detention of Mohammed Abdullah