regional human rights protection – Page 52 – International Justice Resource Center

New ECHR Decisions on Freedom of Expression in France

May 11, 2010 IJRC European System, thought, expression & association

This week the European Court of Human Rights published its decisions in, among others, three cases related to freedom of expression in France: Le Pen v. France, Fleury v. France and Brunet Lecomte and Lyon Mag v. France. All three deal with civil or criminal penalties imposed on individuals for published statements regarding other individuals or groups. The Court found no violation in

New IACHR Report on Crime and Human Rights

May 11, 2010 IJRC crime & impunity, Inter-American System

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights today made available online its Report on Citizen Security and Human Rights, which addresses the problem of common crime, State tactics for the prevention and punishment of crime, and the effect these have on the human rights of individuals. As reviewed in Chapter III of the report, the relatively high level of violent crime in

IACHR Submits Cases Involving Disappearance and Indigenous Land Rights to Inter-American Court

May 5, 2010 IJRC due process & judicial protection, enforced disappearance, environmental rights, indigenous communities, Inter-American System, property

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights announced today that it will litigate two cases before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (against Argentina and Ecuador), while the press and civil society reported that a third case against the Dominican Republic will also be heard by the court. The IACHR press release states: On April 18, 2010, the IACHR filed an

Honduras Inaugurates Truth Commission to Investigate Coup

May 5, 2010 IJRC crime & impunity, democracy & political rights, Inter-American System, transitional justice

Yesterday, Honduran President Porfirio Lobo inaugurated the previously-announced Truth Commission to investigate the events surrounding last June’s military coup which removed from power President Manuel Zelaya, who is currently exiled in the Dominican Republic. (Read Honduran government press releases here and here.) The establishment of such a commission was a condition of Zelaya’s exit from the national stage and a

News Clips

May 1, 2010 IJRC discrimination, domestic courts, economic, social & cultural rights, environmental rights, international criminal law, regional human rights protection, security & rule of law

Protests and celebrations commemorate International Workers’ Day around the world. [NPR, AP] For information on international labor standards and agreements, visit the International Labour Organization’s website. Omar Khadr boycotted the second day of his Military Commission evidentiary hearings yesterday when he was required to wear sensory deprivation equipment while being transported to the courthouse [Impunity Watch] the Extraordinary Chambers in the

IACHR Admits Cases Involving Ancestral Land Rights and ‘Environmental Racism’

April 28, 2010 IJRC economic, social & cultural rights, environmental rights, indigenous communities, Inter-American System, property, right to life, security & rule of law, torture

In its first five admissibility decisions of 2010, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights admitted three petitions against Peru, one against Honduras, and one against the United States. The petition against Honduras concerns the rights of a Garifuna community, while the petition against the United States concerns the rights of a predominantly African American community in Mossville, Louisiana. In the

ECHR Reviews Disappearance, Private and Family Life, and Freedom of Expression in Recent Judgments

April 27, 2010 IJRC European System, privacy, property, right to life, thought, expression & association

The European Court of Human Rights issued a number of decisions this week and last against a number of States, including Poland, Slovakia, Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Albania, Romania, Italy, Serbia and the United Kingdom. Several of these recent judgments involved individuals who had been internally displaced by conflict or unrest, while others involved rights protected by Article 8 of the Convention (pertaining

Political Violence in Nicaragua Worries IACHR

April 27, 2010 IJRC domestic courts, Inter-American System

In a press release issued today, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights expressed its concern over acts of violence committed in Nicaragua last week. The Commission reports: During the incidents serious disturbances took place, dozens of individuals were detained, property was burned, and shots were fired. The Commission learned that these acts were undertaken to prevent the functioning of the

Arizona Passes Law Targeting Undocumented Migrants

April 23, 2010 IJRC discrimination, immigration & asylum, Inter-American System

Today, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed into law what the New York Times is characterizing as the country’s toughest immigration law. Although immigration falls within the federal legislature’s province, Arizona has acted in the face of what it sees as the failure of Washington to address the issues raised by a large, undocumented immigrant population. While states cannot assume the

CICIG Head Seeks Broader, Extended Mandate before UN

April 21, 2010 IJRC crime & impunity, Inter-American System, Universal system

Carlos Castresana, head of the United Nations-backed commission created to help strengthen law enforcement and judicial efforts to investigate and prosecute clandestine security groups in Guatemala, was in New York today for a discussion with UN and Guatemalan representatives on the problem of impunity in Guatemala and the future of the Comisión Internacional contra la Impunidad en Guatemala (CICIG). CICIG’s mandate