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Hospital Attacks in Syria
Russia’s air force deliberately attacked Kafr Nabl hospital in Syria in 2019. A legal filing, brought on behalf of victims and survivors, seeks a ruling from the UN Human Rights Committee on the attack—part of a wider pattern of attacks against health care facilities in Syria by Russian forces.
Syrians Seek UN Rights Ruling against Russia for 2019 Hospital Attacks
A legal complaint seeks justice for Syrian victims of attacks by the Russian air force, and seeks to reinforce protections for health care facilities in war-time.
Q&A: Bringing a Case Before the International Court of Justice for the Rights of Afghan Women and Girls
This paper considers 21 questions around the feasibility of bringing a complaint at the International Court of Justice against Afghanistan's Taliban for egregious and prevalent violations of women’s and girls’ rights.
The Ongoing Segregation of Roma Children in the Czech Republic
This report, presented to the European Commission in January 2024, presents new evidence indicating that the Czech Republic's discriminatory treatment of Roma children is in breach of the European Union's Racial Equality Directive.
Claudia Medina v. Secretaría de Marina and Fiscalia General de la República
After the Mexican government granted the armed forces powers to carry out law enforcement operations in 2006, the Mexican Navy committed systemic patterns of torture and sexual violence with the rubber stamp approval of the prosecutor's office.
A Legal Victory in the Drive to End Racist Police Tactics Ethnic Profiling
Mohamad Wa Baile, a Swiss citizen, complained to the European Court of Human Rights that he had been subjected to a discriminatory stop by police in Switzerland. The court ruled in his favor, marking a step forward in the drive to eliminate racially-biased policing in Europe.
2024 Global Human Rights Litigation Report
Read highlights of litigation undertaken by the Open Society Justice Initiative, plus a representative selection of cases illustrating the depth and range of its global litigation work on human rights and international humanitarian law.
Wa Baile v. Switzerland
Mohamed Wa Baile claimed to have been subjected to ethnic profiling in 2015, when he was stopped by police officers in a train station in Zurich and told to identify himself. In 2018, Wa Baile complained to the European Court of Human Rights,which found in his favor in February, 2024.
European Court of Human Rights Condemns Racist Policing
The European Court of Human Rights has found that police in the Swiss city of Zurich engaged in ethnic profiling, in an identity check stop carried out on Mohamed Wa Baile, a Swiss citizen, at the city’s’ train station in 2015.
Belgian Court Refers Saudi Victim Standing Issue to CJEU
A court in Belgium is asking the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to clarify the scope of EU legislation on the rights of crime victims—in connection with a complaint accusing officials of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of crimes against humanity.
IACHR Advisory Opinion on Climate Emergency and Human Rights
This submssion argues for an ambitious and expansive approach to the protection of the rights of people displaced by the climate emergency, as the Inter-American Court of Human Rights prepares an Advisory Opinion that will shape future regional law and policy in the region.
Justice Initiative Urges Expansive Rights Framework for Climate Displacement
As the Inter-American Court of Human Rights develops an Advisory Opinion on the climate emergency that will shape policy across the region, the Justice Initiative has submitted recommendations focused on rights and human mobility.
A Podcast Gives Voice to Syrians Searching for Justice in Europe International Justice
Now in its second series, “The Syria Trials” tells the human stories behind the drive to prosecute al-Assad regime officials for atrocity crimes before European courts.
French Magistrates Seek Arrest of Syria's Al-Assad and Associates for Chemical Weapons Attacks
Arrest warrants for Al-Assad, his brother, and two other senior officials have been issued after an extensive investigation into chemical weapons attacks on civilians in Douma and Eastern Ghouta in August 2013 that killed more than 1,000 people.
Accountability for Crimes of Personnel of the Wagner Group in Ukraine
A legal analysis of the status of the Wagner Group under international humanitarian law and implications of that status for prosecuting its personnel for international crimes allegedly committed in Ukraine.
State Human Rights Obligations Regarding the Distribution of Scarce Health Resources
This report offers a comprehensive overview of case law concerning the rights to life, health, and nondiscrimination in international, regional, and national systems.
New Court Filings Argue for Protecting Afghanistan’s Frozen U.S. Assets
The Justice Initiative is arguing that Afghanistan’s frozen U.S. dollar funds must not be at risk of seizure from private claims against the Taliban.
Q&A: The Human Rights Lessons from Bulgaria’s COVID-19 Failures
A lawsuit against Bulgaria under the European Social Charter seeks to reinforce citizens’ protections in the future—by highlighting policy failures that left the country with the highest COVID-19 death rate in Europe.
Top French Court Recognizes Police Discrimination but Declines to Act
France's top administrative court says it lacks the power to order government action to end police stops that unfairly target young people of color.
After a Summer of Unrest, French Police Tactics Face Court Scrutiny
A complaint before France’s highest court accuses the police of systematically singling out young people of color for abusive ID checks and body searches.