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Accountability for Torture: Europe vs. United States
While the United States may not want to acknowledge how it tore Khaled El-Masri's life apart, European pressure may well compel the U.S. to finally come clean.
The Salt Pit
"You are in a country with no laws," rendition victim Khaled El-Masri was told by his U.S. captors in the Kabul prison known as the Salt Pit.
International Criminal Court's Daunting Challenges
Support for the International Criminal Court by its member states falls short of what is required to enable the court to have a wider impact in promoting international justice and helping to end impunity, according to court experts.
Kafka in the Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic harshly penalizes its citizens of Haitian descent because they do not have identity cards--documentation which the government (in violation of international law) refuses to issue to them.
International Criminal Court: Only as Strong as Its Member States
Although 111 countries have ratified the statute establishing the International Criminal Court, many have consistently failed to cooperate with the court's operations or to effectively support its work.
The International Criminal Court Gets a Performance Review
The International Criminal Court is the sole independent permanent court with the mandate to try genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. But critics say that for its €100 million annual budget, the ICC needs to have more to show.
UNESCO Must Get Out of the Reputation-Laundering Business
The hypocrisy of an award recognizing scientists whose work has improved the "quality of life" being named after the leader of one of the worst-governed nations on earth is galling.
Stopping Police Violence and Abuse in Nigeria
Stanley Ibe of the Open Society Justice Initiative discusses the shocking, widespread levels of torture, rape, and murder at the hands of police in Nigeria, and what can be done about it.
Equatorial Guinea: No Room for Rights?
It's a shame that Equatoguineans had to go to Switzerland just to have a chance to address their own government. But the inclusion of their voices is a small but critical step towards achieving accountability, rule of law, and the protection of...
The International Criminal Court: Justice and Politics
Much unease about the International Criminal Court boils down to one issue: how should its prosecutor decide, among thousands of crimes and perpetrators within his jurisdiction, which ones to charge?
A Promising, If Tenuous, Start
Khmer Rouge leader Duch's trial Is the first step on the road to national recovery for Cambodia. However, political interference threatens to jeopardize the tribunal’s mission.
ICC Must Consider the Security of War Victims
The International Criminal Court's resources must be improved to focus more on winning back the trust of victims, particularly in Africa, through better outreach and effective protection.
Commission Must Be Tough on Italy
Italy's breaches of fundamental human rights in its immigration policy must no longer be tolerated, argues OSI director James A. Goldston.
Barack Obama's Visit to Africa and the International Criminal Court Prosecution of Omar Al-Bashir of Sudan
Amid much controversy over the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Sudan president Omar Al-Bashir, the United States can play a leading role in clarifying the situation.
Statelessness: What It Is and Why It Matters
An overview of the legal definition of statelessness, its manifestations, and the international frameworks under which it can be reduced.
World Justice on Trial
Five years after the world's first permanent criminal tribunal commenced operations, the International Criminal Court has made its mark. The ICC has opened four active investigations, issued public charges against 12 people, and to date secured...
Justice, Interrupted
Recent operational and procedural irregularities risk the legitimacy of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia as a credible court of law, writes Open Society Justice Initiative's James Goldston.
Statelessness
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees must help resolve situations of protracted statelessness, and make clear that citizenship is a fundamental right that may not be denied arbitrarily, for discriminatory reasons, or where it results...
Grant Citizenship to All Native Born
The Dominican Republic must abide by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruling calling for Santo Domingo to extend citizenship rights to Dominicans of Haitian descent.
Judgement in Phnom Penh
After many delays, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia are set to begin deliberations on Khmer Rouge-era war crimes. However, much work still needs to be done to ensure the Courts can carry out their mission.