extrajudicial executions – Page 7 – International Justice Resource Center

ECCC Sentences Former Khmer Rouge Leaders to Life Imprisonment for Crimes Against Humanity, Marking the Latest Convictions of High-Level Officials by an Internationalized Criminal Tribunal

August 13, 2014 IJRC Asia, enforced disappearance, extrajudicial executions, ICTR, ICTY, International Criminal Court, international criminal law, international human rights, international humanitarian law, internationalized criminal tribunals, massacres, transitional justice

The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) last week issued its first convictions against former senior Khmer Rouge leaders, finding Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan guilty of crimes against humanity committed during the Khmer Rouge’s rule in the 1970s. [ECCC Press Release] The convictions, part of only the second set of charges to be resolved by the

International Human Rights Bodies Condemn Violence, Gov’t Responses to Protests in Thailand, Ukraine, and Venezuela

February 25, 2014 IJRC democracy & political rights, European System, extrajudicial executions, Inter-American System, liberty & security of person, thought, expression & association, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Tensions have escalated in Thailand, Ukraine, and Venezuela in recent weeks as political protests have given rise to violent clashes and political upheaval. The United Nations and international human rights bodies have called upon each government to engage in meaningful dialogue to address these conflicts and develop solutions. [OHCHR; COE; UN News Centre] UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon emphasized that “there

In Landmark Ruling, Haitian Court Opens Investigation into Jean-Claude Duvalier for Crimes against Humanity

February 25, 2014 IJRC crime & impunity, domestic courts, due process & judicial protection, enforced disappearance, extrajudicial executions, international criminal law, liberty & security of person

On February 20, 2014, a historic Haitian appellate court ruling opened the door to the possible prosecution of former Haitian President Jean-Claude Duvalier (“Baby Doc”) for crimes against humanity. Survivors of the Duvalier regime’s abuses and human rights activists see the decision as an important victory in their quest for justice and accountability. [UN Radio; Reuters]

Extraordinary African Chambers: Hybrid Court to Try Former Chad Dictator Hissène Habré

February 13, 2013 IJRC African System, crime & impunity, domestic courts, due process & judicial protection, European System, extrajudicial executions, International Court of Justice, international human rights, internationalized criminal tribunals, torture, UN treaty bodies, universal jurisdiction

The Extraordinary African Chambers, a special criminal court, opened on February 8, 2013 in the West African nation of Senegal to prepare a case against former Chadian president Hissène Habré. [NY Times] Habré has been accused of responsibility for the deaths of more than 40,000 people and the torture of more than 20,000 during his eight-year rule of Chad, from 1982

IACtHR Swears in New Judges, Hears Cases on Range of Issues during Ongoing 98th Session

February 6, 2013 IJRC children, crime & impunity, due process & judicial protection, environmental rights, extrajudicial executions, human rights defenders, Inter-American System, international human rights, judicial independence, labor rights, property, reparations, torture

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) is holding its 98th Ordinary Session from February 4 through February 15, 2013 at its seat in San José, Costa Rica. [IACtHR Press Release (Spanish)] During this session, the Court will hear evidence and legal arguments from the parties in six cases pending before it, preside over private hearings on States’ compliance with three previous judgments,

UN Special Rapporteur Initiates Investigation into Drone Strikes and Other Targeted Killings

February 4, 2013 IJRC due process & judicial protection, extrajudicial executions, international criminal law, international human rights, international humanitarian law, security & rule of law, UN Special Procedures

On January 24, 2013, the UN Special Rapporteur on counterterrorism and human rights, Ben Emmerson, launched an investigation of States’ use of armed drones and other forms of targeted killing. The investigation will focus on the legal framework applicable to the use of drones and the technology’s impact on civilians by examining 25 case studies of strikes carried out by the

Guatemala Abrogates Attempt to Limit the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ Jurisdiction

January 23, 2013 IJRC crime & impunity, due process & judicial protection, enforced disappearance, extrajudicial executions, Inter-American System, international human rights, massacres, torture, transitional justice, universal jurisdiction

On January 17, 2013, Guatemalan President Otto Pérez Molina announced the derogation of a resolution that would have attempted to limit the Inter-American Court of Human Right’s jurisdiction over alleged human rights violations that took place before 1987. [IACHR; Procuraduría de Derechos Humanos] In December 2012, the Guatemalan Congress passed Resolution 370-2012, the purpose of which was to restrict the Inter-American Court of