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Protecting Prisoners’ Health during COVID-19
As COVID-19 continues its deadly march around the globe, with the lives of incarcerated persons hanging on the line. Yet future deaths of incarcerated persons are still avoidable. The clock is ticking, and decision-makers must act now.
Justice Initiative Calls on U.S. to Deploy Global Magnitsky Act to Curb COVID-19 Rights and Corruption Abuses
The Open Society Justice Initiative is calling on the U.S. government to use the Global Magnitsky Act to address human rights abuses and corruption related to COVID-19 pandemic responses around the world.
Why Airline Bailouts Must Come with Carbon Emissions Reductions
Should the U.S. Congress continue to bailout airline executives and shareholders, it must do so without compounding our environmental crisis for decades to come.
Will Banning Facial Recognition Solve Our Surveillance Problems?
Ending the police's use of racially-biased facial recognition technology temporarily or forever will not solve the full scale of the global surveillance problem around the world.
In fighting COVID-19, Sierra Leone Should Learn from Ebola Mistakes
As Sierra Leone works to contain the pandemic, there has not yet been a proper reckoning for the high-level corruption that tainted the country's ultimately successful battle against Ebola.
ICC Announces Prosecutor Nomination Short List, Justice Initiative Calls for Additional Actions to Ensure Merit
Following the International Criminal Court's release of shortlisted candidates for the role of prosecutor , the Justice Initiative calls on member states to ensure that the candidates embody outstanding professional merit and “high moral character,” a key requirement for the position.
Thousands of Venezuelans are Stranded at the Colombia-Venezuela Border due to COVID-19
Thousands of Venezuelan migrants attempting to return to their home country remain stranded along the Colombia-Venezuela border during the COVID-19 pandemic, in a glaring example of how States are falling short of their international obligations.
A Recipe for Autocracy
A trial judge’s power to review a prosecutor’s decision to drop criminal charges is a lynchpin of the democratic principle of equality under the law. The U.S. Court of Appeals ruling on the Michael Flynn case has failed to uphold it.
Ethnic Profiling
We work with police, activists, and community leaders across multiple European countries to document systemic ethnic profiling by police officers and to put a stop to abuses through new frameworks and policies.
Defensoria Publica and Ministerio Publico in Rio de Janeiro vs. State of Rio de Janeiro
A case filed by the Public Defender and the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Rio de Janeiro argues that under international human rights law, a State has a heightened duty to protect the health of incarcerated persons during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Groups Call on a Brazilian Court to Uphold Human Rights in Prisons during the COVID-19 Pandemic
The Justice Initiative, in partnership with civil society organizations Conectas and Elas Existem, submitted a joint amici brief to the Court of Justice of the State of Rio de Janeiro detailing the government’s obligations under international law to protect the human rights of incarcerated persons during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Justice Initiative Calls for Accountability for Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Syria
The Justice Initiative has co-signed a letter calling on European member states, prosecutors with jurisdiction over crimes committed in Syria, and other decision-makers to ensure access to justice for survivors of systemic sexual and gender-based violence during the Syrian civil conflict.
New Legal Opinion Calls on EU to Act on Hungary’s Emergency COVID-19 Laws
The Open Society Justice Initiative and Blackstone Chambers released a legal opinion on Hungary’s Authorization Act and associated decrees, calling on the European Union to hold Hungary accountable for violations of EU law.
African Lawyers call for Clarity on Election Rules under COVID-19
The Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU) has filed a request to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights to elaborate on the rules and standards that should govern elections in Africa during the coronavirus pandemic.
Justice Initiative Applauds Worker Suit against Amazon for COVID-19 Labor Conditions
Workers and family members of workers at Amazon’s JFK8 fulfillment center in Staten Island, New York have filed a lawsuit to force changes to the company’s on-the-job and leave policies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Justice Initiative Calls on UK Government to Address Racial Discrimination by Law Enforcement during COVID-19 Lockdown
The Justice Initiative has joined an open letter calling on the UK government to narrow the powers of police to enforce the lockdown and take immediate measures to address racial and ethnic discrimination.
How NGOs, Journalists, and Courtroom Eyewitnesses can Strengthen Reporting on Atrocity Crimes Trials
Trial monitors play an important role in keeping the public informed of events in the courtroom. The Justice Initiative’s Monitoring Atrocity Crimes Trials: A Guide, offers clear guidance on what to monitor and how to convey important information.
Residents Sue Denmark Over Discriminatory “Ghetto Package” Eviction Plan
Twelve Copenhagen residents have filed a lawsuit against the Danish government seeking a declaration that measures under the country’s so-called Ghetto Package are unlawful under EU law and the European Convention on Human Rights.
Q&A: My Fight to Save My Home Under Denmark’s Harsh “Ghetto Plan”
In Denmark, Open Society Justice Initiative partnered with local residents to stop mass evictions and save their homes under the country’s controversial and discriminatory “Ghetto Package.”
Tenants of Mjølnerparken v. Danish Ministry of Transport and Housing
Twelve Copenhagen residents have filed a lawsuit against the Danish government seeking a declaration that measures under the country’s so-called Ghetto Package are unlawful under EU law and the European Convention on Human Rights.