Topic: International Crimes
Big Brother Watch v. United Kingdom
The European Court of Human Rights held that the UK’s bulk interception regime violated the right to privacy for its lack of sufficient oversight and safeguards.
New European Union Directive on Counterterrorism is Seriously Flawed
European Union member states must ensure that a new effort to standardize counterterrorism laws does not undermine fundamental freedoms and the rule of law.
Eroding Trust: The UK’s Prevent Counter-Extremism Strategy in Health and Education
Since 2015, the UK’s counter-extremism strategy has imposed a statutory duty on health and education professionals to report individuals at risk of being drawn into terrorism.
State Attorney of Israel v. Breaking the Silence
An Israeli NGO, Breaking the Silence, opposed a demand from the government to hand over documentation that would expose its confidential sources.
Vereda La Esperanza v. Colombia
States must conduct effective investigations into serious violations of human rights committed during armed conflict.
Romania’s Role in CIA Torture and Rendition Comes Before European Court
Romania’s efforts to draw a veil over its support for the Central Intelligence Agency’s program of torture and secret rendition a decade ago will come under unprecedented scrutiny at the European Court of Human Rights.
United States v. Private First Class Chelsea Manning
The 35-year prison sentence handed down to Private First Class Chelsea Manning by a United States military court in August 2013 far exceeded international legal norms.
Lawyers Say Court Errs in Ignoring German Role in U.S. Drone Strikes
A German court erred in rejecting a legal challenge to Germany’s support for targeted killings carried out by the United States, according to lawyers for the complainant.
Legal Complaint Targets Germany’s Role in U.S. Drone Program
A court in Cologne will hear a civil complaint on April 27 which argues that the use of U.S. bases on German territory to support drone strikes violates German law.
Finding a Silver Lining in the UK Surveillance Controversy
Amid the intense debate over the UK’s proposed Investigatory Powers Bill, members of parliament are backing stronger protections for whistleblowers.
Comments on the Draft Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism
This document was submitted to the Council of Europe's Committee on Foreign Terrorist Fighters and Related Issues, with comments on the Additional Protocol of the Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism.
Al-Waheed and Ministry of Defence
This case considers whether the detention of prisoners by UK troops in a non-international conflict should be governed by human rights law, or the laws of war.
Case Watch: Making Sense of the Schrems Ruling on Data Transfer
The ruling from the top EU court is subtle and careful—and it has already been misunderstood in some quarters.
Why Snowden Won’t Get the Public Interest Defense He Deserves
European members of parliament have called on the United States to give Edward Snowden a chance to defend his disclosures as being in the public interest.
Death by Drone
The U.S. has secretly been using drones to conduct targeted killings in Yemen since 2002. Using on-the-ground research, this report details civilian casualties caused by nine such attacks, carried out between 2012 and 2014.
New Report Details Civilian Harm from U.S. Drone Strikes in Yemen
A new report from the Open Society Justice Initiative details nine cases in which civilians, including children, were killed or injured by drone attacks between May, 2012 and April, 2014.
The Human Cost of Secret U.S. Drone Strikes in Yemen
Courageous on-the-ground researchers give the world a look at the reality of a counterterrorism strategy that some in the U.S. government would argue is a model program.
Case Watch: UK Supreme Court Backs Government Rejection of Statelessness Claim
The UK Supreme Court ruled that stripping British nationality from a naturalized citizen accused of terrorism did not make him stateless, even when his country of birth repudiated the claim.
European Court Rejects Poland’s Bid to Challenge CIA Black Site Ruling
The European Court of Human Rights has confirmed its landmark ruling that Poland illegally allowed the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency to operate a secret torture prison on its territory in 2002 and 2003.
Case Watch: UK Supreme Court Struggles with Pham Statelessness Conundrum
Details emerged during a UK Supreme Court hearing of secret British discussions with Vietnam, aimed at securing the deportation of a Vietnamese-born an alleged al-Qaida associate, who had been stripped of UK citizenship.