Over the past week, the European Court of Human Rights has held hearings in several cases relating to the “war on terror,” at the same time as the United States has forcibly repatriated two Guantanamo Bay detainees, despite their fears of persecution. The following post summarizes these developments and – in follow-up to this previous post – also surveys recent advances in other
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UN Working Group Finds Guantanamo Detainee’s Continued Detention to be Arbitrary, Recommends Release
Ranjana Natarajan contributes this guest post on a recent notable decision by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention regarding a complaint presented by Guantanamo Bay detainee Obaidullah, who was represented before the Working Group by the University of Texas School of Law‘s National Security Clinic and Human Rights Clinic.
Read moreInternational Community Urges Egyptian Authorities to Respect Rule of Law and Human Rights, amid Mixed Reactions to President’s Ouster
Immediately following the military-led ouster of Mohamed Morsi, Egypt’s first democratically elected president, and amidst clashes between authorities and protesters, supranational bodies urged all parties involved to respect human rights and adhere to the rule of law. Morsi, an Islamist politician elected in June 2012 following the revolution that toppled Hosni Mubarak, faced increasing public opposition as he expanded executive
Read moreAs Hunger Strike Continues, International Human Rights Experts Urge U.S. to Close Guantanamo Detention Center
In response to the hunger strike carried out by detainees held at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Juan Mendez, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while
Read moreIn I.K. v. Austria, ECtHR Prohibits Deportation of Russian National Due to Risk of Collective Punishment against Those with Ties to Alleged Chechen Separatists
Last week, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) announced its decision in the case of I.K. v. Austria, app. no. 2964/12, Judgment of 28 March 2013, in which the court considered the conventionality of Austria’s denial of asylum to a Russian national of Chechen origin whose father had worked for former Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov. The court held, unanimously,
Read moreUN Votes to Adopt Arms Trade Treaty, Restricting Export of Weapons that May Be Used for Human Rights Violations
The United Nations (UN) General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to adopt an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) on April 2, 2013. The treaty regulates international trade of conventional arms, and aims to “[contribute] to international and regional peace, security and stability.” ATT, art. 1. Among other requirements, States Parties must prohibit the international transfer of arms whenever the government has knowledge that
Read moreUN Human Rights Council Concludes 22nd Session with Resolutions on North Korea, Mali, Syria, and Human Rights Defenders
The United Nations Human Rights Council concluded its twenty-second regular session last week after adopting a number of decisions, statements and resolutions to address pressing concerns in a handful of countries, advance its work on a range of human rights issues, and call for greater protection of human rights defenders. [OHCHR] Among other notable decisions during the four-week session, the
Read moreMali Conflict: Concerns Persist for Protection of Human Rights, Displaced Populations, Minority Groups
The West African nation of Mali, previously hailed as a democratic model for other regional governments, has become engulfed in a human rights and political crisis that is now the target of international attention and military intervention. Government and foreign forces are attempting to reclaim territory from separatist rebel groups, while the International Criminal Court and UN and African human rights
Read moreUN Special Rapporteur Initiates Investigation into Drone Strikes and Other Targeted Killings
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
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In El Haski v. Belgium, ECHR Finds Fair Trial Violation where 'Real Risk' that Evidence Was Obtained through Torture by Other States
Last Tuesday, the European Court of Human Rights held in El Haski v. Belgium, no. 649/08, Judgment of 25 September 2012, that Belgium should have excluded evidence where there was a real risk that the evidence had been obtained through torture or inhuman or degrading treatment. ECtHR, El Haski v. Belgium, no. 649/08, Judgment of 25 September 2012 (available in French only). The Court
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