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.
Open Society Justice Initiative Expert Gives Senate Testimony on Rape as War Crime
Kelly Askin, senior legal officer on international justice, testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law about rape as a weapon of war.
May 16, 2008Rights Groups Urge United Nations on Justice in Northern Uganda
In a letter sent to the UN Security Council, the Open Society Justice Initiative and two other leading human rights organizations urged the full pursuit of justice for mass crimes committed in northern Uganda.
May 16, 2008Open Society Justice Initiative Applauds Torture Ruling
With Saadi v. Italy, the European Court of Human Rights has reaffirmed the European Convention ban on deporting people to countries where they are at risk of being tortured, in a decision hailed the Open Society Justice Initiative and other human...
April 15, 2008New Report from Turkey Finds Accused Lack Legal Representation
An empirical study of legal aid in Istanbul jointly undertaken by the Open Society Justice Initiative and Istanbul Bilgi University found that only 10 percent of criminal defendants in Istanbul are represented by a lawyer.
April 06, 2008Open Society Justice Initiative Commends Ruling on Prisoners' Rights in Kazakhstan, Calls for Investigation of Torture
A ruling by Kazakhstan's Constitutional Council overturning a legal provision limiting the rights of prisoners who protested against widespread torture in prison is a step in the right direction, but authorities must investigate prisoners'...
March 27, 2008Open Society Justice Initiative Finds Racial Discrimination in Dutch Database
The Dutch government’s practice of gathering and processing sensitive racial and ethnic data infringes on the right to privacy and the right of freedom from racial and ethnic discrimination, according to a legal submission by the Open Society...
March 21, 2008Rights Groups Denounce Greek Prosecutor's Racist Statement
A statement made by Greece's top prosecutor suggesting that certain ethnic groups are involved in crime is racist and must be retracted, reports the Open Society Justice Initiative.
February 05, 2008Open Society Justice Initiative Calls on Khmer Rouge Court to Fix Human Resource Problems
The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia must address serious flaws in hiring and other personnel practices, according to the Open Society Justice Initiative.
October 05, 2007