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From Spectators to Champions: How Supportive States Can Promote Cooperation with the International Criminal Court through Multilateral Bodies
This briefing paper offers recommendations as to how the ICC should approach cooperation challenges, as well as how states that are supportive of its work could leverage multilateral bodies’ support to influence reluctant governments to cooperate with the ICC.
In 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.
Evidence Suggests Evictions in a Danish Neighborhood were Racially Biased. Now the Case is Before the High Court.
This case may set an important precedent for standards for discrimination in Denmark.
Denmark’s Discriminatory “Ghetto Package”: Demographic Reports on Nøjsomhed-Sydvej, Helsingor, and Evicted Households
Reports by the Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research at Aarhus University analyze demographic trends in Nøjsomhed-Sydvejand, a neighborhood in Denmark designated as a "ghetto" under the government's controversial "Ghetto Package," and three comparator areas, as well as the demographics of 96 forcibly-evicted households in Nøjsomhed-Sydvejand.
Open 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.
Open Society European Policy Institute v. Bulgaria
The Open Society Foundations' collective complaint alleges that the Bulgarian government violated the European Social Charter for failing to prioritize persons over 65 years old and individuals with underlying conditions in its domestic COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
First-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.
Danish 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.
As 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.
The 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.
EU 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.
The Justice Initiative Releases New Recommendations for the Election of the ICC Prosecutor
Following the election of the third prosecutor in the history of the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Justice Initiative, an active observer of the election process, has released a series of recommendations for future elections.
2020–2021 International Criminal Court Prosecutor Election Process: Insights and Recommendations for Future Elections
Building on the Justice Initiative’s advocacy efforts to improve election and nomination procedures throughout the International Criminal Court, and drawing on a range of interviews conducted with individuals engaged in the process, this paper reflects on the prosecutor’s election and offers guidance on how it can be improved.
Danish Court to Consider “Ghetto Package” Eviction Plan While Government Forges Ahead with Expansion of Racially Discriminatory Laws
Denmark’s Eastern High Court began deliberations on a case filed by Copenhagen residents against the Danish Ministry of Interior and Housing. The complainants are challenging the Ministry’s approval of a development plan under the country’s nationwide so-called Ghetto Package.
The Justice Initiative Welcomes New Vetting Measures for Top ICC Officials
As the International Criminal Court (ICC) continues its process for the selection of two deputy prosecutors, the Justice Initiative applauds new due diligence measures to ensure that candidates meet the “high moral character” requirement for this role as required by the Rome Statute.
Civil Society Groups Urge Egypt to Implement Decision from Africa’s Top Human Rights Body on Torture and Abusive Detention
The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) and the Open Society Justice Initiative have sent a letter to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to express grave concern about Egypt’s continued non-compliance with the Commission’s decision in El Sharkawi v. Arab Republic of Egypt.
ECHR Fast-Tracks Case on Racial Profiling by Police in France
Over four years after Seydi and others v. France was filed before the European Court of Human Rights, the tribunal has designated this case on racial profiling by police as a priority for more expeditious processing by labelling it as a potential “impact” case (“affaire à impact”).
New Kenya High Court Judgment Sets Important Precedent for Digital ID Privacy Protections and Processes
The Justice Initiative welcomes a Kenyan High Court judgment declaring the data collection and roll-out of biometric Huduma cards for the country’s digital ID system, the National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS), unconstitutional.
Stopping Abusive Lending Practices in the EU
In response to the prevalence of predatory lending in the EU, the Justice Initiative supported domestic case building to compel states to enforce human rights protections to stop these abusive practices.
Hanan v. Germany
In 2016, Abdul Hanan, the father of the two boys killed in a German airstrike in Afghanistan, filed a complaint before the European Court for Human Rights alleging that Germany had not conducted an effective investigation into the attack.