Jurist

Marwan Barghouti beaten in Israeli prison: report

The Commission of Detainees & Ex-Detainee Affairs, a Palestinian prisoner rights organization, and the Palestinian Prisoners' Club reported in statements on Oct. 28 that Israeli prison staff have brutally assaulted Marwan Barghouti, a Palestinian political leader and member of the Central Committee of Fatah.

Guadeloupe: curfew following strike at power plant

The government of the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe extended a territory-wide curfew on Oct. 25, applying from 7 PM through 6 AM, after a strike by workers at the EDF-PEI power plant shut down the island's electricity supply. The power plant at Pointe Jarry, is run by the Insular Electricity Production unit of national utility Electricity of France. The order marked an extension of the curfew imposed the previous day "to prevent the risk of public order disturbance in the context of the general power outage."

Bolivia: police attack protest roadblocks

The national police force of Bolivia announced that they had arrested 44 protesters on Oct. 25, after supporters of of former president Evo Morales set up more than 20 roadblocks on highways across the country to prevent his arrest. The police accused protestors of committing various crimes, including attacks on transportation security, usurpation of functions, criminal association, armed robbery and terrorism. In a press conference, Minister of Government Eduardo Del Castillo condemned the the protesters' use of dangerous weapons, including dynamite, assault rifles and shotguns. He noted that 14 officers have been injured and one is undergoing surgery.

Condemn Poland plan to suspend asylum rights

Over 40 human rights groups have warned Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk against implementing his plan to temporarily suspend the right to claim asylum. Among the groups are Amnesty International, several asylum law organizations, and the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation. In an open letter on Oct. 14, the organizations stressed that the fundamental right to asylum is binding on Poland under international law, as the country has ratified the Geneva Convention, and under EU law as provided by Article 18 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights. Additionally, Article 56 of the Polish Constitution enshrines the right to asylum. Acknowledging that "[w]e live in difficult times of war and conflicts breaking out all over the world," the statement nonetheless asserted that fundamental rights, as the core values of Europe, are not subject to discussion or restriction.

Estonia recognizes Crimean Tatar deportation as genocide

The Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, on Oct. 16 officially recognized the mass deportation of the Crimean Tatars by the Soviet Union in 1944 as an act of genocide. The statement passed in the 101-seat body with 83 votes in favor and eight abstentions. The decision comes at a time of renewed focus on Russia's ongoing policies in Crimea, which the Riigikogu linked to Soviet-era atrocities. The statement

Iran: retrial for labor activist sentenced to death

Iran's Supreme Court ordered a retrial of labor rights activist Sharifeh Mohammadi, who had been sentenced to death for treason, local media reported Oct. 12. The order lifts her death sentence while she awaits a retrial. In the conviction handed down by the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Rasht, Mohammadi's alleged membership in the National Labor Unions Assistance Coordination Committee (LUACC) was included as evidence—despite the fact that LUACC is a legally established independent labor organization in Iran. Mohammadi claimed that she had not been a member of LUACC for 10 years.

Flooding deepens dire rights situation in Burma

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) reported Oct. 10 that over 570,000 people are believes displaced in Burma's Rakhine state due to ongoing conflict between the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) and the rebel Arakan Army, adding to the over 3 million people displaced across the country.

Worsening the humanitarian situation, Burma (Myanmar) has been hit by severe flooding since early September. Torrential monsoon rains and the remnants of Typhoon Yagi have affected an estimated 1 million people across 70 of the country's 330 townships, causing significant damage to crops, farmland and livestock. According to UNOCHA, this has further exacerbated the vulnerabilities of conflict-affected communities. Humanitarian responses in Rakhine face significant challenges, including blocked supply routes, communication blackouts, and restricted access to areas outside state capital Sittwe (formerly Akyab).

Call for UN convention on crimes against humanity

Amnesty International on Oct. 9 called on the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to commence negotiations on a global treaty to prevent and punish crimes against humanity. The organization said UNGA must solidify and strengthen the existing international framework in order to deliver justice more efficiently.

Although specific crimes such as genocide are covered under international law, there is no general convention regarding crimes against humanity, despite their illegality under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Unlike global treaties such the Genocide Convention, which obligate state parties to prevent and punish specific crimes within their territory, the Rome Statute only empowers the International Criminal Court to investigate and prosecute with respect to the crimes listed in the statute, including genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression.

Syndicate content