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Zhovtis v. Kazakhstan
This case concerns a human rights defender imprisoned in Kazakhstan. He faced a rushed and unfair trial after being involved in a fatal traffic accident.
Imprisoned Human Rights Defender’s Case Against Kazakhstan Reaches UN
Yevgeniy Zhovtis, one of Central Asia’s leading human rights activists, filed a complaint today with the United Nations to challenge a conviction and sentence imposed, he says, to silence him.
Free Kazakh Human Rights Defender Yevgeniy Zhovtis
Zhovtis's imprisonment suggests the Kazakh government's intent to silence a human rights defender. It's important to ensure that they do not succeed.
Cambodian Prime Minister Must Halt Interference in Khmer Rouge Tribunal
Prime Minister Hun Sen's announcement that he will block the progress of further cases at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal represents an unacceptable attempt to strangle the court, said the Open Society Justice Initiative today.
Polish Prosecutor Recognizes Guantanamo Prisoner as Victim in CIA Black Site Investigation
The Polish prosecutor's office has granted Guantanamo prisoner Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri status as a victim in a pending criminal investigation into a CIA black site in Poland, following a complaint brought by lawyers working with the Open Society...
"God" of Equatorial Guinea Takes a Hit at UNESCO
The decision to suspend the UNESCO "dictator prize" is a testament to the power of an informed global citizenry to strip away the veneer of untouchability from a corrupt human rights abuser with a god complex.
Top European Court Demands Answers on CIA Rendition
Macedonia has become the first government called to account for its collaboration with the CIA's extraordinary rendition program before an international tribunal.
Amidst UNESCO Scandal, President Obiang Gives Schools Notebooks in His Image
In the last several months, the UNESCO-Obiang Prize in Life Sciences has generated more controversy than the organization has seen in decades. Facing a global outcry, the president of Equatorial Guinea has tried to fire back with some good old-...
Statement on ICC Lubanga Appeal Decision
Today’s decision by the International Criminal Court Appeals Chamber shows that it is still possible for Thomas Lubanga to receive a fair hearing in The Hague.
Lubanga Trial Highlights Plight of Child Soldiers
By taking former child soldiers to The Hague to recount how they were conscripted, the battles they fought, and how they saw their fellow children kill and be killed in battle, the Lubanga war-crimes trial has given the world a vivid picture of...
Gaza Crisis, Revisited
Israeli investigations into alleged violations during the 2008 Gaza Conflict have not complied with international or comparative standards, according to an Open Society Justice Initiative analysis.
Lawyers for Rendition Victim Intervene in Polish Investigation of CIA Black Sites
Lawyers cooperating with the Open Society Justice Initiative have filed an application demanding that the Appellate Prosecutor in Warsaw investigate and prosecute the people responsible for Guantanamo prisoner Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri’s transfer,...
Poland Must Account for Torture and Extraordinary Rendition on Its Soil
There is no doubt that Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri was brutally tortured while held in various CIA black sites, including in Poland. The U.S. government's own documents confirm this.
Khmer Rouge Indictments Mark Progress, Yet Tribunal's Future Uncertain
The indictment today of four former senior Khmer Rouge leaders is a major development in the struggle for justice in Cambodia. However, the court’s ultimate success is far from assured.
European Court Ruling Bolsters Media Freedom
The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights unanimously held that media premises are exempt from police searches, marking a major victory for press freedom across the continent.
The Nubian Predicament: A Story about Colonial Legacy, Discrimination, and Statelessness
According to a recent survey, more than 99 percent of Nubians in Kenya identify themselves as Kenyan. But the government thinks otherwise.
Presumption of Innocence in Mexico Project Launches Studies on Pretrial Detention
Mexico's widespread overuse of pretrial detention is costly, harmful, and ineffective. It is also unjust. To combat this problem, the Open Society Justice Initiative today launched a series of publications on pretrial justice in coordination with...
Obiang Regime Shows True Colors with Executions
A sordid saga of cross-border kidnapping, a kangaroo trial, and high-speed executions shows that the president of Equatorial Guinea takes his own solemn promises to reform no more seriously than anyone else.
Europe’s Union Riven by Government Attacks on Minorities
Roma in Italy, burqas in France, minarets in Switzerland: the idea of European citizenship recedes with each affront to equality and solidarity.
Charles Taylor: The View from Sierra Leone
As the glamor and intrigue continue in the war-crimes trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor—with a Hollywood actress and a supermodel's former agent testifying in The Hague about blood diamonds—the view from Sierra Leone looks...