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Genocide in All But Name, for the “Crime” of Being Gay
Seven countries still apply the death penalty against homosexuals. Another 75 criminalize same-sex relations. It’s time to do something about these state-sanctioned acts of hate and destruction.
New Surprises Bedevil the Charles Taylor Trial
First a lawyer in the dock. Now a missing judge. The strange gets stranger at the Special Court for Sierra Leone.
Improving Implementation and Follow-Up: Treaty Bodies, Special Procedures, and the Universal Periodic Review
Too often the verdicts of international human rights bodies don't find their way into practice. Produced by the Open Society Justice Initiative, the Brookings Institution, and UPR-Watch, this report documents a conference to consider strategies...
De Jure Statelessness in the Real World: Applying the Prato Summary Conclusions
Who are the stateless? This paper examines the definition of a stateless person and shows how it could be applied in the real world.
Out in the Cold: Vetting for Nationality in Kenya
In Kenya, secret government edicts ensure that millions face discrimination when they try to secure access to nationality and basic rights. But a new case before the High Court in Mombasa is chipping away at the practice.
UN Takes Historic Action Against Qaddafi
Like Sudan's Bashir before him, Libya's Qaddafi will now have to contend with a possible International Criminal Court investigation.
Charles Taylor’s Lawyer Now Needs a Lawyer Himself
In another unexpected detour at the Charles Taylor war-crimes trial, the Liberian president's own counsel faces disciplinary charges.
Fizi Diary: Guilty!
In an unprecedented decision, a court in the Democratic Republic of Congo has convicted four military officers on charges of rape and terrorism as crimes against humanity.
Why the Katanga Trial Matters
Although the war-crimes trial of Germain Katanga and Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui has received scant attention so far, it represents a major success story for international justice and for victims in the Congo.
Fizi Diary: Finally, Justice For All?
The International Criminal Court tries the most notorious war criminals. But it can only handle a finite number of cases, leaving thousands of crimes unpunished. The Fizi rape trial shows how local courts can fill the void.
Fizi Diary: Reversing the Stigma of Sex Crimes
As a groundbreaking mobile court trial continues in Congo, a community confronts ingrained social stereotypes and the stigma of rape for seemingly the first time.
Fizi Diary: Justice Comes to the “Rape Capital of the World”
On New Year’s Day, a group of government soldiers descended on a village in eastern Congo, raping more than 60 women and girls. Six weeks later, in a startling victory against impunity, 11 soldiers are standing trial.
Fizi Diary: Mobile Court Tries Landmark Rape Case
In Congo, where rape is epidemic and recourse for victims almost nonexistent, impunity has been the norm. An innovative program is showing there might be another way.
Deja Vu at the Charles Taylor Trial
It was supposed to be the final week of the war-crimes trial of the former Liberian president. Then oddly familiar theatrics cast a pall of doubt over the proceedings and raised new questions about the trial's future.
Fizi Diary: “This Is a Once in a Lifetime”
In far eastern Congo, where sex crimes are rampant, an innovative experiment is underway. The goal: to end the impunity and bring a measure of justice for victims.
Supporting Freedom: Lessons for Washington from Egypt and Pakistan
The Obama Administration has gone out of its way to avoid appearing too insistent in calling on other governments to expand democracy and human rights. Then came Egypt.
CIA Rendition: The Beginning of the End of Impunity?
The abduction of an innocent man, which became one of the most embarrassing diplomatic incidents in recent memory, just got a little more embarrassing for the CIA.
Giving Mexico the Criminal Justice System It Deserves
Mexico is struggling to leave behind an outdated and ineffective criminal justice system. One state, Morelos, has taken an unprecedented step.
Hungary’s Media: The Reform Trap
Hungary’s new media laws are part of a broad partisan effort to radically reshape the country’s democracy. The European Union needs to take the challenge seriously.
Lawyers Get Their Final Say at the Charles Taylor Trial
Prosecutors have one final chance to convince judges that former Liberian president Charles Taylor was responsible for the horrific violence—murders, rapes, hacked-off limbs, and looting—committed by rebels during Sierra Leone's civil war.