On April 6, 2017, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled that France’s requirement that two transgender applicants first undergo an irreversible identity change through an operation or sterilizing treatment in order to correct their “sex” designation on their birth certificates violated Article 8 (right to respect for private life) of the European Convention on Human Rights. The ECtHR
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Following Three Decades of Isolation, Morocco Rejoins African Union
After more than 30 years of separation, Morocco has officially been admitted back in to the African Union (AU), the continent’s largest intergovernmental organization. [New York Times; Reuters] Morocco quit the African Union’s predecessor, the Organization of African Unity, in 1984 after the regional bloc officially recognized Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (Western Sahara) as a member. [BBC: Morocco] After a
Read moreNews Clips- January 20, 2017
Civil Society In Jordan this week, a military court arrested and charged eight activists with “insulting the King,” and “incitement to spread chaos,” through social media posts. [Al Jazeera] On Wednesday, Turkish authorities denied entry to New York Times correspondent Rob Nordland allegedly based on Nordland’s prior coverage of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party. [Al Jazeera] In Mexico, environmental and land
Read moreNews Clips- January 13, 2017
Civil Society On Thursday, Human Rights Watch launched its World Report 2017, a 687-page report that chronicles the situation of human rights and identifies impediments to human rights protections, such as the rise of demagogues. [Human Rights Watch] In Israel, Palestinian citizens launched a nationwide strike in response to government demolitions of Palestinian homes on Tuesday. [Al Jazeera] This week,
Read moreFirst Older Persons’ Rights Convention Enters into Force in Americas
The Inter-American human rights system will soon welcome the entry into force of the world’s first binding convention on the rights of older persons. Costa Rica deposited its ratification of the Inter-American Convention on Protecting the Human Rights of Older Persons on December 12, 2016. [OAS Press Release; IACHR Press Release] Costa Rica is the second OAS Member State—following Uruguay—to
Read moreNews Clips – December 23, 2016
Civil Society This week, Human Rights Watch reported that police officers regularly mistreat prisoners in India through the use of torture and the failure to bring detainees before a judge soon after arrest. [Washington Post] On Wednesday, a civil society organization reported escalated violence against human rights defenders in Guatemala, including 14 murders and seven attempted murders this year. [FIDH]
Read moreECtHR Allows Czech Law Prohibiting Midwife Assistance in Home Births
The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) held on November 15 that a Czech law prohibiting the assistance of midwives during home births does not violate a mother’s right to respect for private and family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). See ECtHR, Dubská and Krejzová v. Czech Republic [GC],
Read moreNews Clips- August 12, 2016
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
Read moreRightsCon Silicon Valley 2016: Intersection of Human Rights and Technology
RightsCon, an annual conference on technology and human rights, took place in San Francisco this year with three days of panel discussions. The conference brings together human rights defenders, lawyers, engineers, government officials, corporate representatives, and technologists to discuss technology’s benefits as a tool for protecting human rights and its pitfalls as a catalyst for rights abuses. The conference was
Read moreSpecial Rapporteur on the Right to Privacy Presents First Report
The newly appointed Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy, Joseph Cannataci, presented his first report at the 31st regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, outlining the priorities for his mandate, including clarifying the legal standards and a thematic focus on online privacy. See Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy, Joseph A. Cannataci,
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