international humanitarian law – Page 2 – International Justice Resource Center

News Clips- January 6, 2017

January 6, 2017 IJRC armed conflict, Asia, assembly and association, civil society, discrimination, economic, social & cultural rights, human rights defenders, immigration & asylum, International Criminal Court, international criminal law, international human rights, international humanitarian law, internationalized criminal tribunals, liberty & security of person, migrants, News Clips, thought, expression & association, universal jurisdiction, Universal system

Civil Society The United Nations requested the government of Burundi to remove a ban placed this week on a prominent rights group in the region, and to lessen other restrictions waged against civil society organizations in the past three months. [Washington Post] This Thursday, Bahrain reinstated arrest powers within its domestic spy service in a move that diverges from reforms

UNHCR Issues Guidelines on Refugee Status of Those Fleeing Conflict

December 14, 2016 IJRC armed conflict, immigration & asylum, international criminal law, international humanitarian law, migrants, women's rights

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) issued new guidelines relating to individuals who are fleeing their countries due to armed conflict and violence, seeking to ensure that States consistently apply international law when conducting refugee determinations and generally view these individuals as possible refugees. [UN News Centre] The guidelines are intended to resolve discrepancies in States’ application of

ICC Releases Annual Report on Progress of Preliminary Examinations

December 6, 2016 IJRC armed conflict, extrajudicial executions, International Criminal Court, international criminal law, international humanitarian law, massacres, torture, transitional justice

On November 14, the International Criminal Court (ICC) released its 2016 annual report on its pending preliminary investigations into alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide. [ICC Press Release] The report details the Court’s progress on the 10 situations being evaluated for possible investigation, including two examinations initiated during the reporting period of November 1, 2015 to October 31, 2016

Colombians Reject Peace Deal Heralded by International Community, Negotiations Continue

October 11, 2016 IJRC armed conflict, enforced disappearance, extrajudicial executions, human rights defenders, Inter-American System, international human rights, international humanitarian law, massacres, security & rule of law, torture, transitional justice, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

On Sunday, October 2, 2016 Colombians headed to the polls to vote on a peace agreement to end the 52-year war with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerillas. [The Guardian: Voters] Contrary to what the polls had predicted, the peace deal referendum was rejected by a 0.4 percent margin. [The Guardian: Voters] The deal was the result of

News Clips – August 26, 2016

August 26, 2016 IJRC African System, armed conflict, assembly and association, civil society, corporate accountability, democracy & political rights, domestic courts, enforced disappearance, extrajudicial executions, freedom of religion, immigration & asylum, International Criminal Court, international criminal law, international human rights, international humanitarian law, LGBTI rights, liberty & security of person, migrants, military and humanitarian intervention, News Clips, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Civil Society A member of the United Democratic Party, an opposition political party in Gambia, died while in detention last Saturday, prompting the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to condemn the death and conditions of detention. [UN News Centre] The Ethiopian government announced this week that it will not prosecute the Olympic athlete who publically

UN Reports Increase in Civilian Casualties, Rights Abuses in Afghanistan

August 16, 2016 IJRC armed conflict, children, crime & impunity, economic, social & cultural rights, education, extrajudicial executions, health, international criminal law, international human rights, international humanitarian law, right to life, thought, expression & association, Universal system, women's rights

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) recently published a report on the upswing in civilian casualties in the first six months of 2016. [UNAMA Press Release] More than 5,000 civilians were killed or maimed, the highest number of such casualties in Afghanistan in a six-month period since 2009 and one that includes significant numbers of women and children.

News Clips- August 12, 2016

August 12, 2016 IJRC armed conflict, assembly and association, children, civil litigation, civil society, crime & impunity, democracy & political rights, human rights defenders, immigration & asylum, Inter-American System, international criminal law, international human rights, international humanitarian law, LGBTI rights, liberty & security of person, migrants, military and humanitarian intervention, News Clips, privacy, regional human rights protection, right to life, thought, expression & association, Universal system

International Criminal Law Nada Kiswanson, a permanent representative at the International Criminal Court who works on evidence of war crimes in Palestine, has received death threats. [MEMO] The International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh issued sentences to eight individuals for crimes against humanity. [Jurist] German investigators have identified eight individuals who they suspect of war crimes during the Nazi era. [The

Attacks on South Sudanese Civilians, Humanitarian Workers Prompt International Response

July 20, 2016 IJRC African System, armed conflict, children, extrajudicial executions, International Criminal Court, international criminal law, international human rights, international humanitarian law, military and humanitarian intervention, property, regional human rights protection, right to life, torture, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Special Procedures, UN treaty bodies, Universal system

In South Sudan, opposing armed forces backing President Kirr and Vice President Machar may have committed war crimes by attacking civilians and humanitarian personnel and facilities in recent weeks, according to UN representatives, prompting a decision by the African Union to send additional troops to join the UN peacekeeping force there. [NPR; UN News Centre: Juba; OHCHR Press Briefing] Renewed

News Clips – July 8, 2016

July 8, 2016 IJRC African System, armed conflict, Asia, civil society, crime & impunity, democracy & political rights, domestic courts, extrajudicial executions, human rights defenders, Inter-American System, International Criminal Court, international criminal law, international humanitarian law, internationalized criminal tribunals, massacres, military and humanitarian intervention, News Clips, regional human rights protection, security & rule of law, thought, expression & association, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Human Rights Council, UN Security Council, UN Special Procedures, UN treaty bodies, universal jurisdiction

Human Rights Bodies’ Activities The UN Human Rights Council has adopted a resolution supporting online users’ human rights and criticizing internet shutdowns. [Access Now; TechCrunch] The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women met with civil society representatives from the Philippines, Myanmar, and France ahead of those States’ interactive dialogues with the CEDAW Committee, which also took place this week as it

Inter-American Commission Refers Colombian “False Positives” Killings to Court

May 18, 2016 IJRC armed conflict, crime & impunity, due process & judicial protection, enforced disappearance, extrajudicial executions, Inter-American System, international human rights, international humanitarian law, right to life

On April 14, 2016, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) submitted an application to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR), referring several cases that involve the extrajudicial killings by Colombian security agents. [IACHR Press Release] The victims were killed between 1992 and 1997 and were six of several thousand “falsos positivos,” a term used to refer to ordinary