The United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED) held its fourth session from April 8 to 19, 2013 and reviewed State reports for the first time. Uruguay and France were the first States to be reviewed by the CED, which has now issued its “concluding observations” on those governments’ compliance with the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from
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Extraordinary African Chambers: Hybrid Court to Try Former Chad Dictator Hissène Habré
The Extraordinary African Chambers, a special criminal court, opened on February 8, 2013 in the West African nation of Senegal to prepare a case against former Chadian president Hissène Habré. [NY Times] Habré has been accused of responsibility for the deaths of more than 40,000 people and the torture of more than 20,000 during his eight-year rule of Chad, from 1982
Read moreIACtHR Swears in New Judges, Hears Cases on Range of Issues during Ongoing 98th Session
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) is holding its 98th Ordinary Session from February 4 through February 15, 2013 at its seat in San José, Costa Rica. [IACtHR Press Release (Spanish)] During this session, the Court will hear evidence and legal arguments from the parties in six cases pending before it, preside over private hearings on States’ compliance with three previous judgments,
Read moreMali Conflict: Concerns Persist for Protection of Human Rights, Displaced Populations, Minority Groups
The West African nation of Mali, previously hailed as a democratic model for other regional governments, has become engulfed in a human rights and political crisis that is now the target of international attention and military intervention. Government and foreign forces are attempting to reclaim territory from separatist rebel groups, while the International Criminal Court and UN and African human rights
Read moreGuatemala Abrogates Attempt to Limit the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ Jurisdiction
On January 17, 2013, Guatemalan President Otto Pérez Molina announced the derogation of a resolution that would have attempted to limit the Inter-American Court of Human Right’s jurisdiction over alleged human rights violations that took place before 1987. [IACHR; Procuraduría de Derechos Humanos] In December 2012, the Guatemalan Congress passed Resolution 370-2012, the purpose of which was to restrict the Inter-American Court of
Read moreJamaica: Inter-American Commission Reports Human Rights Concerns, Recommends Policy Changes
Last week, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) published a report on the human rights situation in Jamaica. IACHR, Report on the Situation of Human Rights in Jamaica (2012). The report is the first of the IACHR’s country reports to focus on Jamaica, and is a result of monitoring activities carried out in recent years, including a country visit in 2008,
Read moreSyrian Opposition Coalition Formed as Human Rights Situation Continues to Deteriorate
On Sunday, November 11, Syrian opposition groups signed a draft agreement to form the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary Opposition Forces. [BBC] Sheikh Moaz al-Khatib, a former imam of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus who is considered a moderate and unifying force, was chosen to lead the new coalition. The Gulf Arab States have recognized the coalition as the sole legitimate
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UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty Reports on Individual Access to Justice
On November 5, U.N. Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona, presented her annual report to the U.N. General Assembly. The Special Rapporteur highlights the obstacles faced by individuals living in extreme poverty when they attempt to access courts and other remedies. Linking access to justice to numerous other human rights, her report concludes that States
Read moreSpecial Court for Sierra Leone's Annual Report Focuses on Legacy as Mandate Nears End
Last week, the Special Court for Sierra Leone released its Ninth Annual Report on its activities. Article 25 of the Statute of the Special Court requires the President to release an annual report to the Government of Sierra Leone and the Secretary General of the United Nations. The Ninth Annual Report focused on activities carried out by the Special Court
Read moreVictims’ Justice: Promises Broken on the Road to Trying the Khmer Rouge
James Bair contributes this guest post, the first in a two-part feature sharing differing perspectives on the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia. James Bair is an attorney in Washington, D.C. and a contributor to Enough: the Project to End Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity. ______________________________________________ By James Bair In 2008, as part of an internship with Northeastern University
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