UN Human Rights Experts Summarize Recent Complaints against States

On February 19, 2015, the special procedures of the United Nations Human Rights Council submitted to the Human Rights Council a joint report summarizing all communications concerning alleged human rights abuses that the special procedures sent to States between June and November 2014, as well as State replies to these communications received from August 2014 through January 2015. See Human

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European Court of Human Rights: Poland Responsible for Secret Detention, Torture, and Rendition of Two Guantánamo Detainees

In its first judgment concerning the human rights of current Guantánamo detainees, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) found that Poland failed to uphold its international obligations by allowing the secret detention, torture, and extraordinary rendition of a Saudi Arabian national and a stateless Palestinian, both suspected of terrorist acts. See ECtHR, Al Nashiri v. Poland, no. 28761/11, Judgment of 24

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Opportunities to Contribute to UN Reports with March Deadlines

This month, civil society organizations and human rights defenders have the opportunity to contribute their comments on three upcoming UN reports on the topics of the right to peace, the relationship between human rights and traditional values, and the death penalty.

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Death Penalty & Human Rights: Comments of UN Special Rapporteurs

Although a growing number of countries have abolished the death penalty, 50 of the 193 UN Member States continue to either impose the death penalty or legally allow for it, and thus the death penalty continues to be widely debated internationally.  During their presentations to the UN General Assembly in October 2012, two UN Special Rapporteurs presented their findings on

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The Gambia Suspends Executions after International Outcry

President Yahya Jammeh of the Gambia announced on September 15 that he will be suspending further executions of death row inmates. [BBC] In August, President Jammeh had unexpectedly announced all of the remaining forty-eight prisoners on death row would be executed by September, ending the country’s over twenty-five year old moratorium on executions. [BBC]  The following Sunday, nine prisoners were executed

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