Newsroom
The Open Society Justice Initiative pursues strategic litigation and engages in policy advocacy in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. Read our News Releases and Advocacy Updates on our work.
Justice Initiative Welcomes ICC Arrest Warrant for Putin
The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Now, the international community should do everything in its power to execute it, says the Open Society Justice Initiative.
March 17, 2023U.S. District Court Blocks Seizure of $3.5B of Afghan Assets in New Ruling
The District Court for the Southern District of New York has ruled that $3.5B in Afghan central bank assets should be preserved for the sole benefit of the Afghan people, rather than seized to satisfy court judgments obtained against the Taliban.
February 21, 2023Human Rights Groups Call on Belgium to Open Investigation into Saudi Crown Prince for Crimes against Humanity
The Open Society Justice Initiative welcomes the support of DAWN, MENA Rights Group, and the Freedom Initiative for a criminal complaint it filed in Belgium against Saudi Arabia for crimes against humanity.
January 10, 2023Egypt Must Answer for Unlawful Detention of Ramy Shaath, Say NGOs behind New Complaint
On behalf of activist and former political prisoner Ramy Shaath and his wife Céline Lebrun-Shaath, four human rights groups have filed a complaint against Egypt before the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
December 12, 2022Justice Initiative Urges Poland to Stop Death Penalty Against Guantánamo Prisoner
The Justice Initiative welcomes a resolution urging Poland to seek diplomatic assurances from the U.S. that a Guantánamo prisoner will not face the death penalty after a trial using evidence obtained through torture.
December 09, 2022ECtHR Decision Fails to Hold Italy Accountable for Obligations toward Stateless Persons
The Open Society Justice Initiative condemns a decision from the European Court of Human Rights to declare the application in Dabetić v Italy inadmissible—criticizing it as a missed opportunity for the court to affirm its own case law on protections for stateless persons under the European Convention on Human Rights.
November 18, 2022Discrimination Case Challenging Danish “Ghetto Package” Eviction Plan Referred to Court of Justice of the European Union
Denmark’s Eastern High Court has referred a case against the Danish government to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to consider whether the EU’s legal protection against racial discrimination applies to measures taken under Denmark’s “Ghetto Package” laws.
November 07, 2022Religious Dress Restrictions Are Unlawful, Not “Neutral,” Argues the Justice Initiative
The Justice Initiative, together with co-counsel, the Human Rights Centre at Ghent University, have filed a complaint against Belgium with the UN Human Rights Committee, arguing that religious dress restrictions are discriminatory against Muslim women.
October 21, 2022