Recent developments in Honduras and Sri Lanka have caused concern among civil society and human rights monitoring bodies for the judiciary’s independence in those countries. In Honduras, the National Congress removed four of the five justices who sit on the Constitutional Chamber of the nation’s Supreme Court. According to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), the Honduran Congress ousted the justices due to their
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UK Exercises Universal Jurisdiction to Prosecute Nepalese Colonel for Torture
On Thursday, January 3, 2013, British Metropolitan Police arrested Colonel Kumar Lama, a former Nepalese army officer, during a visit with his wife and children at their home in East Sussex, England. [BBC] Col. Lama was charged with two counts of torture allegedly committed in 2005 during Nepal’s civil war and faces trial in Britain. Charges and Basis of British
Read moreEuropean Committee of Social Rights Considers Labor Rights, Social Assistance, Access to Abortion and Environmental Contamination Complaints in 261st Session
The European Committee of Social Rights held its 261st Session from December 3 to 7, 2012 to consider seventeen collective complaints and examine States’ reports on their implementation of various articles of the European Social Charter. The European Committee of Social Rights, which typically meets seven times annually, is tasked with monitoring State compliance with the European Social Charter. Adopted in 1961 and revised in
Read moreUN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous People Seeks New Members
The Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous People (Expert Mechanism) is currently accepting nominations for two new expert members, one from Latin America and Caribbean countries, and the other from Eastern European countries. Individual candidates must be nominated by January 15, 2013. In 2007 the UN Human Rights Council created the Expert Mechanism as a subsidiary body, also know
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Five UN Meetings on Human Rights: January – March 2013
Universal Periodic Review (UPR): 15th Session The 15th session of the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review will take place from January 21 through February 1, 2013. During this session, the Council will review and confirm reports on the human rights situation in France, Tonga, Romania, Mali, Botswana, the Bahamas, Burundi, Luxembourg, Barbados, Montenegro, the United Arab Emirates, Israel,
Read moreIt's Human Rights Day! : Get an "I Am a Human with Rights!" T-Shirt & Make Twice the Impact
Happy Human Rights Day! IJRC is celebrating the 64th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by offering our supporters a fabulous I Am a Human with Rights! T-shirt and the opportunity to double the impact of your support for IJRC’s efforts to inform, advise, and train human rights defenders around the world. Your Human Rights Day donation to IJRC will be doubled up to $5,000 by
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A Look at Human Rights Day 2012
What is Human Rights Day? Human Rights Day began in 1950 to commemorate the UN General Assembly’s adoption of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on December 10, 1948. Although the UDHR is not legally binding on UN Member States, it is the origin for binding human rights instruments that followed, including the International Covenant on Civil and
Read moreUN Human Rights Committee: "Homosexual Propaganda" Conviction Violated Freedom of Expression
On November 19th the UN Human Rights Committee issued its decision in Irina Fedotova v. Russian Federation, Communication No. 1932/2010, a complaint involving a form of codified discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation that has become increasingly prevalent. The Human Rights Committee found that the applicant’s conviction under the Ryazan Law on Administrative Offenses (Ryazan Region Law) which prohibits “public
Read moreUnderstanding the IACHR Reform Process
Overview In March 2013, the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) plans to hold a special session in which it will consider and potentially adopt a series of controversial proposals for reforming the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (“Commission” or “IACHR”). The adoption of the proposals will mark the culmination of a nearly two-year process that began
Read moreAfrican Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights Issues First General Comments, on Women's Health and HIV
During its 52nd Ordinary Session, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission) adopted its first General Comments on any of its legal instruments‘ meaning. The General Comments pertain to Article 14(1)(d) and (e) of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (commonly referred to as the Maputo Protocol), recognizing
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