civil society – Page 14 – International Justice Resource Center

Venezuela Implements Emergency Rule Amid Protests, Food Shortages

June 13, 2016 IJRC civil society, economic, social & cultural rights, Inter-American System, international human rights, right to life, thought, expression & association

Over the past weeks, Venezuelan citizens have reacted to a deteriorating economic situation and food shortages through protests and an effort to recall President Nicolas Maduro, while the State has responded by declaring a rights-restricting state of emergency and cracking down on dissent. [Vice News; IACHR Press Release: Detentions] At a recent rally, on June 7, 2016, hundreds of Venezuelan

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

Rwanda Withdraws Access to African Court for Individuals and NGOs

March 14, 2016 IJRC African System, civil society, democracy & political rights, due process & judicial protection, international human rights, liberty & security of person, transitional justice

The government of Rwanda has announced it will no longer allow individuals and non-governmental organizations to directly file complaints against it with the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR). [Ministry of Justice Press Release] The decision comes as the African Court is set to decide a claim against Rwanda by a leading opposition politician, Victoire Ingabire, who alleges

Increased Oppression of Chinese Human Rights Defenders Draws International Criticism

February 22, 2016 IJRC civil society, democracy & political rights, human rights defenders, international human rights, liberty & security of person, security & rule of law, thought, expression & association, torture, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Special Procedures

Human rights monitors have expressed alarm at China’s ongoing crackdown on those critical of the government. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, recently drew attention to the Chinese government’s continued oppression of human rights defenders and government critics, specifically referring to a wave of arrests and harassment of civil society actors that began after

ACHPR Publishes Guidelines on Human Rights while Countering Terrorism

February 18, 2016 IJRC African System, civil society, due process & judicial protection, human rights defenders, international human rights, liberty & security of person, publications and resources, right to life, security & rule of law, thought, expression & association

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) has released new principles intended to guide its Member States in implementing counter-terrorism and security measures that comply with regional and international human rights norms. As African States increasingly face real and practical challenges posed by terrorism, the Principles and Guidelines on Human and Peoples’ Rights while Countering Terrorism in Africa

UN Working Group Holds Julian Assange Has Been Arbitrarily Detained

February 11, 2016 IJRC civil society, conditions of detention, due process & judicial protection, immigration & asylum, international human rights, UN Special Procedures

In a controversial decision, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) has concluded that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s detention, house arrest, and subsequent seclusion in Ecuador’s London embassy constitute arbitrary detention which the governments of Sweden and the United Kingdom should redress. [OHCHR Press Release: Assange] The independent experts’ opinion, released on February 5, 2016, finds violations of Mr. Assange’s

January Human Rights Sessions Include Focus on Children’s Rights

January 21, 2016 IJRC children, civil society, economic, social & cultural rights, environmental rights, European System, family, international human rights, migrants, UN Economic and Social Council, UN Human Rights Council, UN treaty bodies, Universal Periodic Review, Universal system

During the month of January 2016, a number of bodies will be in session whose mandates are relevant to the protection of human rights. These include one regional human rights monitoring body, the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR), in addition to four United Nations mechanisms: the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Working Group on the Universal Periodic

AU-EU Meetings Emphasize Cooperation to Protect Human Rights

January 11, 2016 IJRC African System, civil society, crime & impunity, democracy & political rights, European System, human rights defenders, international human rights, military and humanitarian intervention, regional human rights protection, thought, expression & association, women's rights

In November 2015, representatives of African and European intergovernmental organizations and civil society gathered in Rwanda for the 11th African Union – European Union (AU-EU) Human Rights Dialogue, a platform for sharing experiences concerning human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Participants in the Human Rights Dialogue, which was held in Kigali on November 24, 2015, included the Hon.

African Commission and NGOs Review Human Rights Concerns at November Session

November 23, 2015 IJRC African System, civil society, human rights defenders, international human rights

During its most recent session, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) welcomed two new commissioners; examined four States’ human rights records; heard activity reports from its special mechanisms; and focused particular attention on the rights of women, implementation of ACHPR decisions, its relationship with non-governmental organizations and with national human rights institutions, and the intersections between international humanitarian law

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