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U.S. Cannot Close Door on Legacy of Torture So Easily
The U.S. has said it will investigate only two out of almost 100 cases of alleged mistreatment of terrorism suspects by the CIA. But international investigations and legal action into the abuses mean the questions will not go away.
Article 19: UN Reinforces Right to Freedom of Expression and Information
After two years of consultations on the right of free of expression, the UN Human Rights Committee has strengthened protections for new media, and says blasphemy laws should not be used to restrict legitimate free expression.
Case Watch: Court Sees Rights Breach in Greek Migrant Detention
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled against Greece for holding migrants in jails designed for short-term stays, highlighting the challenge facing the European Union as a whole in addressing migration pressures.
Case Watch: Enforcing Human Rights Across Borders
Two landmark cases recently confirmed that the UK's human rights obligations apply to its military conduct in Iraq, finding that Britain's treatment of Iraqi civilians violated provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights. The rulings are...
Moidunov v. Kyrgyzstan
After a dispute on the street, Tashkenbai Moidunov was taken to a police station in Kyrgyzstan. Later that night, he was found dead in his cell. Despite the evidence, there was never a proper investigation into his death.
Fact Sheet: Democratic Republic of Congo Mobile Gender Courts
The Open Society Justice Initiative has helped set up mobile gender justice courts aimed at combating rape and other abuses in remote areas of the DRC.
Gerasimov v. Kazakhstan
This Open Society Justice Initiative case involves the torture of a man by police in Kazakhstan.
International Justice Day: Monitoring the Process
To mark World Day for International Criminal Justice, here's a quick look at the work that the Open Society Justice Initiative is doing to monitor the proceedings of the International Criminal Court and the special tribunals set up for Sierra...
Case Watch: Battling Statelessness in Slovenia
Twenty years after the break-up of the Yugoslav federation, the European Court of Human Rights is focusing on the plight of 25,000 people who were erased from Slovenia's registry of residents after the republic declared its independence.
Hungary at Odds with Europe over Arrest Rights
New legislation allows for suspects in serious crimes to be held by police for up to 48 hours without access to defense counsel, and for up to 5 days without court review.
Alade v. the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Sikiru Alade spent almost a decade in pretrial detention. His case exposes a system in which police routinely charge suspects in order to have them detained, but make no effort to investigate or prosecute the case.
Hungary Backslides on Arrest Rights
The Open Society Justice Initiative is deeply concerned by new legislation that allows suspects in serious crime cases to be held for up to 48 hours without access to defense counsel, and up to 5 days without court review.
Moldova’s Gay Rights Stance Undermines Its EU Aspirations
Moldova voted against the recent UN resolution supporting LGBT rights, an action that undercuts its aspirations to move towards closer relations and possible membership of the European Union.
Case Watch: Italian “Push-Backs” of Migrant Boats Under Scrutiny
The human rights and anti-migrant sides of the EU immigration debate went head to head at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, in a controversial case over "push-backs," or interceptions, of migrants in the Mediterranean.
Pretrial Detainees: At Risk of Torture
A new report reminds us that torture and other ill-treatment of prisoners are not aberrations; they are common, even routine, in many detention facilities around the world.
Khmer Rouge Leaders on Trial: Q & A with James A. Goldston
James A. Goldston, executive director of the Open Society Justice Initiative, considers the significance of the trial of the top four surviving leaders of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge, both for Cambodians and for the evolution of international justice.
Hungarian Parliament Must Reject Assault on Arrest Rights
The Open Society Justice Initiative is calling on the Government of Hungary to withdraw a proposed parliamentary bill that would drastically curtail the most basic rights of suspects.
Italy’s Migrant Rights Record Under Scrutiny
The European Court of Human Rights will hear complaints against Italy by a group of Somali and Eritrean migrants who were pushed back to Libya by Italian naval vessels in their attempt to reach the Italian coast.
Case Watch: A Window on the Inter-American Court of Human Rights
It might not sound like exciting reading, but the 2010 annual report of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights presents an important resource for all those who are interested in human rights.
Ethnic Profiling Challenge in France Moves Forward
A groundbreaking constitutional challenge to the widespread use of ethnic profiling by French police took a major step forward this week, as judges from across the country agreed to refer cases heard before local courts to the highest court in...