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
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OHCHR Establishes Guinea Office
The United Nations announced today that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights will open an office in the Guinean capital of Conakry in order to “assist the Government in reporting on compliance with international human rights treaties. It will also advise on establishing a National Human Rights Institution and on judicial reforms, help combat impunity for human rights
Read moreHonduras Inaugurates Truth Commission to Investigate Coup
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
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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
Read moreArizona Modifies Some Provisions of Immigration Law
In the face of heated criticism and constitutional challenges, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed into law House Bill 2162, which supersedes Senate Bill 1070 (discussed earlier on this blog here). The Governor’s issued a statement upon signing HB 2162, which asserts that the bill: defines and clarifies even further the proper implementation and enforcement of the law. These changes specifically answer legal questions raised
Read moreDOD Publishes New Manual for Military Commissions
As reported by Human Rights First, the U.S. Department of Defense has released a new version of the handbook which establishes the procedural rules and applicable punishments in the prosecution of “alien unprivileged enemy belligerents for violations of the law of war and other offenses” before Military Commissions in Guantanamo Bay, under the Military Commissions Act. The new Manual for Military Commissions
Read moreUN Announces Legal Aid Fund for Iraqi Detainees
The United Nations announced today that, since late last year, 20 legal defense centers have been providing free legal assistance to Iraqi detainees to help them defend themselves in criminal proceedings. The Programme for the Protection of Detainees and Torture Victims, funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), is operating in
Read moreIACHR Admits Cases Involving Ancestral Land Rights and ‘Environmental Racism’
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
Read moreECHR Reviews Disappearance, Private and Family Life, and Freedom of Expression in Recent Judgments
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
Read morePolitical Violence in Nicaragua Worries IACHR
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
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