armed conflict – Page 10 – International Justice Resource Center

International Criminal Court Reports on Preliminary Examinations as States Parties Convene

November 18, 2015 IJRC armed conflict, crime & impunity, extrajudicial executions, International Criminal Court, international criminal law, international humanitarian law, massacres, torture, UN Security Council

On November 12, 2015, Ms. Fatou Bensouda, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), published her annual Report on Preliminary Examination Activities (2015), which details the preliminary examination activities conducted by her office between November 1, 2014 and October 31, 2015. These included two situations – Georgia and Honduras – in which the Office of the Prosecutor (OPT) has concluded its

Burundi: International and Regional Bodies Urge Dialogue, Fear Mass Violence

November 17, 2015 IJRC African System, armed conflict, civil society, democracy & political rights, extrajudicial executions, human rights defenders, international criminal law, international human rights, international humanitarian law, military and humanitarian intervention, security & rule of law, thought, expression & association, torture, UN Human Rights Council, UN Security Council

Amid an ongoing human rights and political crisis in which hundreds have lost their lives, civil society and human rights bodies are calling on Burundian authorities to avoid inciting violence, put a stop to attacks against advocates and journalists, and cooperate with monitoring efforts. On November 12, 2015, the UN Security Council unanimously voted to adopt a resolution condemning the

Juan Mendez, Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment Credit: UN Photo/Loey Felipe

Special Rapporteur Highlights Extraterritoriality of Torture Convention Obligations

October 29, 2015 IJRC armed conflict, due process & judicial protection, military and humanitarian intervention, security & rule of law, torture, UN Special Procedures

On October 20, the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Juan E. Méndez, presented his seventeenth expert’s report to the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly during its 70th Session, in New York. [Anti-Torture Initiative] The report addresses the extraterritorial obligations that arise under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman,

On 29 September 2015, the trial in the case The Prosecutor v. Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, Aimé Kilolo Musamba, Jean-Jacques Mangenda Kabongo, Fidèle Babala Wandu and Narcisse Arido opened before Trial Chamber VII at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands. Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, Aimé Kilolo Musamba, Jean-Jacques Mangenda Kabongo, Fidèle Babala Wandu and Narcisse Arido are accused of offences against the administration of justice in connection with witnesses' testimonies in the case of The Prosecutor v. Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo. Credit: ICC

ICC Initiates Witness Tampering Prosecution of Jean-Pierre Bemba & Others

October 20, 2015 IJRC armed conflict, due process & judicial protection, International Criminal Court, international humanitarian law

On September 29, 2015 the International Criminal Court (ICC) commenced its first trial concerning allegations of witness tampering, in the case of The Prosecutor v. Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo et al. [ICC Press Release: Prosecutor’s Statement; The Guardian] Jean-Pierre Bemba Gomba, former Vice President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and four other defendants are charged with offenses to the

International Criminal Court Considers Investigation of 2008 South Ossetia Conflict

October 14, 2015 IJRC armed conflict, International Criminal Court, international criminal law, international humanitarian law, military and humanitarian intervention

The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has requested authorization to investigate possible war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the 2008 conflict in South Ossetia, a step that could lead to the eventual prosecution of individuals suspected of responsibility for directing or carrying out these crimes. [ICC Press Release: Prosecutor Requests] The Prosecutor has received information that

Nepal Adopts Secular Constitution Amid Violent Protests

September 30, 2015 IJRC armed conflict, Asia, children, civil society, democracy & political rights, discrimination, due process & judicial protection, economic, social & cultural rights, family, freedom of religion, human rights defenders, indigenous communities, international human rights, LGBTI rights, thought, expression & association, transitional justice, women's rights

On September 16, 2015, the Constituent Assembly of Nepal adopted a new constitution almost a decade after the end of its civil war. The country’s constitution, the first to be drafted by popularly elected representatives, establishes Nepal as a secular federal republic. The constitution also divides Nepal into seven provinces and establishes a proportional electoral system to elect federal and

Burkina Faso’s President Reinstated and Elections Rescheduled after Coup

September 28, 2015 IJRC African System, armed conflict, civil society, democracy & political rights, human rights defenders, international human rights, liberty & security of person, military and humanitarian intervention, security & rule of law, transitional justice, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Burkina Faso’s interim President Michel Kafando was reinstated on September 23, 2015, following a truce agreement between coup leaders and the national army. [BBC News: Reinstated; Al Jazeera: Coup leaders sign truce] This truce agreement came after the September 16th coup in which members of the Regiment of Presidential Security (RSP, for its French name: Régiment de sécurité présidentielle), calling themselves

UN Report Highlights Human Rights Violations in Sri Lanka and Urges Creation of Hybrid Court

September 22, 2015 IJRC armed conflict, Asia, children, civil society, democracy & political rights, discrimination, due process & judicial protection, economic, social & cultural rights, family, human rights defenders, international criminal law, international human rights, international humanitarian law, internationalized criminal tribunals, judicial independence, liberty & security of person, military and humanitarian intervention, persons with disabilities, privacy, property, reparations, right to life, security & rule of law, thought, expression & association, transitional justice, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Human Rights Council, UN Special Procedures, UN treaty bodies, women's rights

On September 16, 2015, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, released a report on the human rights violations, including unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, and gender-based violence, committed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and Sri Lankan government forces from 2002-2011. See Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Report of the OHCHR

Committee on the Rights of the Child Reviews 9 States’ Reports

September 17, 2015 IJRC armed conflict, Asia, children, civil society, crime & impunity, democracy & political rights, discrimination, due process & judicial protection, economic, social & cultural rights, family, human rights defenders, immigration & asylum, indigenous communities, international human rights, international humanitarian law, labor rights, LGBTI rights, liberty & security of person, persons with disabilities, UN treaty bodies, women's rights

On September 14, 2015 the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) commenced its 70th session in Geneva, Switzerland. During this session, which will end on October 2, the Committee will review the reports of Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, Kazakhstan, Poland, Timor-Leste, and the United Arab Emirates concerning the States’ implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child;

Committee on Enforced Disappearances Reviews Iraq and Montenegro

September 15, 2015 IJRC armed conflict, children, civil society, crime & impunity, democracy & political rights, discrimination, enforced disappearance, family, freedom of religion, ICTY, immigration & asylum, International Criminal Court, international human rights, international humanitarian law, liberty & security of person, persons with disabilities, privacy, reparations, right to life, transitional justice, UN treaty bodies

The United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED) is currently holding its 9th session in Geneva, Switzerland from September 7th to 18th. The CED is reviewing State reports of Iraq and Montenegro regarding their implementation of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (Convention). During the session, the CED and each State engage in dialogue