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.
The Justice Initiative Calls on States to Step Up Efforts to Support ICC Investigations
As part of ongoing discussions led by an expert review panel on how to make the International Criminal Court (ICC) more efficient and effective, the Justice Initiative calls on states to do more to push for multilateral bodies to spur greater cooperation with the Court.
February 28, 2022In a Rebuke to the Brazilian Military, Appeals Court Confirms Acquittal of Torture Survivors
An appeals court in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, has confirmed the acquittal of six individuals who claimed they were tortured after being arrested in 2018 while in military custody. This case was the first time in Brazil a forensic investigation into torture was carried in line with the standards set out in the UN-endorsed Istanbul Protocol.
February 25, 2022Open Society Submits ECSR Complaint Urging Bulgarian Government to Accelerate Vaccinations of Vulnerable Groups
The Open Society Foundations has submitted a complaint before the ECSR against the Bulgarian government for failing to prioritize persons over 65 years old and individuals with underlying conditions in its COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
January 25, 2022First-ever Sentence on Syrian Government's Crimes against Humanity Handed Down by German Court
A former Syrian government official has been found guilty of crimes against humanity for his role in being the co-perpetrator of torture, severe deprivation of liberty, and sexual violence, in addition to other crimes, and sentenced to life in prison by the Higher Regional Court in Koblenz, Germany.
January 13, 2022Danish Court Upholds Right To Challenge Government’s Racially Discriminatory “Ghetto” Package Eviction Plan
Denmark’s Eastern High Court has ruled in favor of residents who brought forward a legal challenge against a housing development plan to be carried out under the so-called Ghetto Package, a set of laws which target Muslims and other racialized groups of migrant descent for discrimination.
December 15, 2021As First-Ever Syrian War Crimes Trial Concludes, Former Torture Victims Hope for Justice
The Higher Regional Court in Koblenz, Germany, heard final arguments from several joint plaintiffs and their representatives in the trial of Anwar R., a former Syrian official who oversaw torture and enforced disappearances at the notorious government-run al-Khatib detention center, also known as Branch 251.
December 15, 2021The Justice Initiative Supports French Youth in Complaint Against Wrongful Lockdown Fines
Over thirty teenagers and young adults from the French working-class district of Essonne are challenging penalties they received during the Spring 2020 coronavirus lockdown for violating a stay-at-home order, claiming that the fines are unlawful, inappropriate, and discriminatory.
December 09, 2021EU Top Court Strikes Down Hungarian “Stop Soros” Law
The EU’s top court has found that a 2018 Hungarian law targeting independent civil society breaches EU norms.
November 16, 2021