military and humanitarian intervention – Page 2 – International Justice Resource Center

Charter Launched on Including Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Responses

June 6, 2016 IJRC armed conflict, military and humanitarian intervention, persons with disabilities

A new charter on the inclusion of persons with disabilities in responses to humanitarian crises was endorsed at the first World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul on May 24, 2016. [UN News Centre] The Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action encourages States and civil society organizations to consider the specific needs of people with disabilities in all

International Criminal Court Authorizes Investigation of 2008 Georgia-Russia Conflict

February 3, 2016 IJRC armed conflict, International Criminal Court, international human rights, international humanitarian law, military and humanitarian intervention, right to life, torture

The International Criminal Court (ICC) last week authorized the Office of the Prosecutor to investigate alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in South Ossetia from July 1 to October 10, 2008 during the armed conflict between Georgia and Russia. [ICC Press Release] According to the ICC Prosecutor, between 13,400 and 18,500 ethnic Georgians were forcibly displaced and the ethnic Georgian

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.

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

Juan Mendez, Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment Credit: UN Photo/Loey Felipe

Special Rapporteur Highlights Extraterritoriality of Torture Convention Obligations

October 29, 2015 IJRC armed conflict, due process & judicial protection, military and humanitarian intervention, security & rule of law, torture, UN Special Procedures

On October 20, the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Juan E. Méndez, presented his seventeenth expert’s report to the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly during its 70th Session, in New York. [Anti-Torture Initiative] The report addresses the extraterritorial obligations that arise under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman,

International Criminal Court Considers Investigation of 2008 South Ossetia Conflict

October 14, 2015 IJRC armed conflict, International Criminal Court, international criminal law, international humanitarian law, military and humanitarian intervention

The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has requested authorization to investigate possible war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the 2008 conflict in South Ossetia, a step that could lead to the eventual prosecution of individuals suspected of responsibility for directing or carrying out these crimes. [ICC Press Release: Prosecutor Requests] The Prosecutor has received information that

Burkina Faso’s President Reinstated and Elections Rescheduled after Coup

September 28, 2015 IJRC African System, armed conflict, civil society, democracy & political rights, human rights defenders, international human rights, liberty & security of person, military and humanitarian intervention, security & rule of law, transitional justice, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Burkina Faso’s interim President Michel Kafando was reinstated on September 23, 2015, following a truce agreement between coup leaders and the national army. [BBC News: Reinstated; Al Jazeera: Coup leaders sign truce] This truce agreement came after the September 16th coup in which members of the Regiment of Presidential Security (RSP, for its French name: Régiment de sécurité présidentielle), calling themselves

UN Report Highlights Human Rights Violations in Sri Lanka and Urges Creation of Hybrid Court

September 22, 2015 IJRC armed conflict, Asia, children, civil society, democracy & political rights, discrimination, due process & judicial protection, economic, social & cultural rights, family, human rights defenders, international criminal law, international human rights, international humanitarian law, internationalized criminal tribunals, judicial independence, liberty & security of person, military and humanitarian intervention, persons with disabilities, privacy, property, reparations, right to life, security & rule of law, thought, expression & association, transitional justice, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Human Rights Council, UN Special Procedures, UN treaty bodies, women's rights

On September 16, 2015, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, released a report on the human rights violations, including unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, and gender-based violence, committed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and Sri Lankan government forces from 2002-2011. See Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Report of the OHCHR

Kosovo to Create Special War Crimes Court but Faces Challenges

August 25, 2015 IJRC armed conflict, democracy & political rights, discrimination, due process & judicial protection, ICTY, International Criminal Court, international human rights, international humanitarian law, internationalized criminal tribunals, military and humanitarian intervention, right to life, security & rule of law, transitional justice

On August 3, 2015 the Kosovo Parliament passed the “Law on Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutor’s Office,” a constitutional amendment that will establish a special war crimes court to prosecute former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) guerrillas for crimes committed during and after the Kosovo War between January 1, 1998 and December 31, 2000. The court will operate under Kosovo law

ICC Pre-Trial Chamber Asks Prosecutor to Reconsider Decision to Not Investigate Gaza Incident

July 29, 2015 IJRC International Criminal Court, international human rights, military and humanitarian intervention

In a decision dated July 16, 2015, Pre-Trial Chamber 1 (PTC) of the International Criminal Court (ICC) granted the request by Comoros to review ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda’s decision to not investigate the interception of a humanitarian aid flotilla by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), which resulted in ten deaths and numerous injuries on May 31, 2010. In her decision dated