The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) unanimously held last week that requiring two Muslim girls below the age of puberty to participate in a school’s compulsory mixed gender swim class did not violate their parents’ right to religious freedom under Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights (the Convention). See ECtHR, Osmanoǧlu and Kocabaş v. Switzerland, no.
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A trial chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) recently rejected defendant Bosco Ntaganda’s claim that the Court lacks jurisdiction to try him for the war crimes of rape and sexual slavery of child soldiers in his own forces. [ICC Press Release] The January 4 decision was issued in response to the defense’s claim that the Court cannot assert jurisdiction
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Civil Society On Thursday, Human Rights Watch launched its World Report 2017, a 687-page report that chronicles the situation of human rights and identifies impediments to human rights protections, such as the rise of demagogues. [Human Rights Watch] In Israel, Palestinian citizens launched a nationwide strike in response to government demolitions of Palestinian homes on Tuesday. [Al Jazeera] This week,
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Civil Society In Argentina this week, human rights advocate Milagro Sala, and other members of the organization Tupac Amaru, were sentenced to 2-3 years probation, or suspended prison, for “aggravated damage” after participating in a protest. [Telesur] A United Nations agency condemned the murder of journalist, Larry Que, of the Phillippines, and called for an investigation into the death as
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In the month of January, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child and the European Committee of Social Rights will convene to assess States’ compliance with their human rights obligations by reviewing State reports and assessing individual complaints. In addition, three UN special rapporteurs will conduct country visits and the UN Working Group on the issue of
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The trial against Dominic Ongwen, a child soldier turned top commander of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), began at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on December 6, 2016. See ICC, Prosecutor v. Dominic Ongwen. Ongwen was indicted in 2005 on 70 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, which include gender-based crimes and crimes of conscription of children allegedly
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In the month of December, various universal and regional bodies will be in session. Three United Nations treaty bodies will meet to engage with States regarding their treaty obligations related to torture, racial discrimination, and enforced disappearances. Seven UN special rapporteurs and one working group will conduct country visits, and three working groups will meet in Geneva, Switzerland to discuss
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The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) recently released 21 opinions adopted during its August 2016 session, relating to 58 individuals in detention in 17 countries. [OHCHR Press Release] The opinions covered several topics within the WGAD’s mandate, including the treatment of minors in detention, the right to a fair trial, the rights to freedom of expression and
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On November 4, 2016, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) published a report that seeks to address the practical realities of those in the context of human mobility and lay out the legal standards that should govern Member States’ policies concerning migrants, asylum seekers, refugees, persons in need of complimentary protection, stateless persons, victims of human trafficking, and internally
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Activities of Human Rights Bodies and Experts The Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context has asked the Nigerian government for an explanation for the recent mass evictions that have resulted in four deaths and many displaced. [UN News Centre] The Subcommittee
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