http://www.article19.org/pdfs/publications/uk-unhrc-submission.pdf
ARTICLE 19 urges UN Committee to address free speech concerns in the United Kingdom
Today, the UN Human Rights Committee begins its audit of the United Kingdom’s compliance with its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). ARTICLE 19 has submitted a Report calling on the Committee to question the British Government on a range of issues, including its plans to reduce use of the Freedom of Information Act, the ban on unauthorised demonstrations near Parliament Square and the high cost of defending libel suits in the UK.
While the ARTICLE 19 Report finds that respect for freedom of expression in Britain is generally good, it points to an erosion of the right to protest as well as a failure to address a number of long-standing issues. The United Kingdom is yet to act on problems identified by the UN several years ago in the UK’s Freedom of Information Act and Official Secrets Act. Instead, steps are being considered to curtail access to information.
The report warns that the vaguely defined offence of ‘encouragement of terrorism’ enacted after the 2005 terrorist attacks discourages the peaceful expression of extreme views, making it more difficult to confront and moderate them. The terrorist threat has provoked excessive responses, such as a six year prison sentence for protestors who chanted fundamentalist slogans and a ban on demonstrations outside Parliament without prior leave from the police.
Another problem identified by ARTICLE 19 is the high cost of defending, or even settling, libel suits in the UK. Contingent fee arrangements have made it easy to sue the media, aggravating existing procedural disadvantages which the defendant faces, and discouraging critical reporting.
NOTES TO EDITORS
The UN Human Rights Committee will be meeting on 29 October to draw up a list of ‘issues of concern’ on Britain’s implementation of the main UN human rights treaty, the ICCPR, and ARTICLE 19’s report supplements the official UK government report. The Committee will be meeting in July 2008 for a question and answer session with British officials, at which time we will supply additional information.
For more information, please contact Daniel Simons, Legal Officer, at daniel@article19.org or +44 20 7239 1192
The Report can be downloaded at http://www.article19.org/pdfs/publications/uk-unhrc-submission.pdf. The UK government report is available at http://daccess-ods.un.org/access.nsf/Get?Open&DS=CCPR/C/GBR/6&Lang=E.
ARTICLE 19 is an independent human rights organisation that works globally to protect and promote the right to freedom of expression. It takes its name from Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees free speech.
http://hrw.org/reports/2007/syria1007/
Syria: End Repression of Human Rights Groups
Security Services Regularly Arrest and Harass Activists
(New York, October 17, 2007) - Syrian authorities should stop restricting
the freedom of human rights activists to express their views and to
associate as a group, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.
The country's security services regularly harass the activists by arresting
them and preventing them from meeting or traveling.
The 46-page report, "No Room to Breathe: State Repression of Human Rights
Activism in Syria," documents the restrictions imposed on activists by
examining the legal environment in which they operate and the government
practices to which they are subject. It also charts the development of
Syria's human rights community and the challenges it faces today. It is
based on extensive interviews with representatives of all of Syria's major
human rights groups, independent lawyers, and members of the international
diplomatic community in Damascus.
"The human rights community in Syria has grown in important ways in the
last few years, but they remain under siege by authorities that cannot
fathom any criticism of their record," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East
director at Human Rights Watch.
Under Syrian law, the Syrian Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor controls
the registration of all civil society associations and has wide
jurisdiction to intervene in the internal governance and day-to-day
operations of any association by appointing board members and attending
meetings. Despite these very strict control mechanisms, Syrian authorities
have refused to recognize any of the human rights groups that have applied
for registration.
"Without legal status, these groups operate at the whim of the authorities
and live in constant fear of being shut down," said Whitson. "They cannot
even rent a place to meet."
The report concludes that the most serious barrier to the rights and
freedoms of Syria's human rights community lies in the role of the powerful
security services, which routinely harass human rights groups by breaking
up meetings, banning activists from traveling, and arresting them.
"Activists who dare to document government violations end up being charged
for dubious crimes such as 'weakening national sentiment' or 'spreading
false news'," said Whitson.
In April 2007, a Syrian court sentenced one of the country's most prominent
human rights lawyers, Anwar al-Bunni, to five years in jail in connection
with a statement he had made claiming that a man had died in a Syrian jail
due to inhumane conditions there.
The Syrian government often justifies its intolerance of criticism by
arguing that it is presently under threat from the United States and other
Western countries that are seeking to isolate it, and that any criticism of
the government will only serve the interests of these foreign powers.
However, state repression of human rights activism is not a recent
phenomenon in Syria, and its victims usually have no link to foreign powers
and are themselves critical of US policy in the region.
Human Rights Watch called on the Syrian authorities to cease arbitrarily
arresting activists and to free any activists it has detained for
exercising their right to freedom of expression. It also urged the
government to amend existing law and practice to allow human rights groups
to legally register and operate free from any governmental interference.
The report urges the international community to ensure that human rights
concerns are at the core of any future talks or negotiations with Syria and
to support human rights activists in Syria by advocating on their behalf
with Syrian authorities and providing logistical support through
capacity-building programs.
It also calls on the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on
human rights defenders to request a visit to Syria to examine the situation
of human rights defenders in the country.
The report is available in English and Arabic at:
http://hrw.org/reports/2007/syria1007/
For more of Human Rights Watch's work on Syria, please visit:
http://hrw.org/doc?t=mideast&c=syria
For further information, contact Nadim Houry (English, French), Beirut,
tel: +961 3 639 244 (mobile); Gasser Abdel-Razek (Arabic, English), Cairo,
tel: +20 2 2 794 5036 or +20 10 502 9999 (mobile); Sarah Leah Whitson
(English), New York, tel: +1 212 216 1230; or Human Rights Watch, 350 Fifth
Ave., 34th Floor, New York, NY 10018-3299, U.S.A., tel: +1 212 290 4700,
fax: +1 212 736 1300, e-mail: hrwnyc@hrw.org, Internet: http://www.hrw.org/
http://www.fidh.org/IMG/pdf/Colombiejustice481-32007.pdf
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) published its report on the application of the Justice and Peace Act in Colombia. The report is the result of more than two years of work in conjunction with FIDH leagues in Colombia: the “José Alvear Restrepo” lawyers’ collective, ILSA, and the Permanent Committee for the Defense of Human Rights. It is also based on observation of the Justice and Peace hearings held from May to July 2007 at the Justice and Peace Tribunals in Bogotá, Medellín, and Barranquilla.
The Justice and Peace Act is in line with a broader legal framework that, according to the authorities, seeks to demobilize the paramilitary forces responsible for crimes against humanity, other serious violations of human rights, and war crimes.
Since they first appeared, the paramilitary structures have committed an average of 60,000 crimes against humanity and serious human rights violations. This figure does not include the more than one million persons displaced as a direct result of the strategy of terror, threats, and paramilitary action. Colombia ranks second in the world in terms of the number of forced displacements. In 2006, more than 219,000 people were displaced, and the number of registered families tops 380,000 [1]. From January to June 2007 alone, more than 770 civilians were murdered in Colombia or fell victim to forced disappearance. More than 80 mass graves have been discovered; in late 2006 the Office of the Prosecutor estimated that there were still more than 3,000 persons remaining to be found. It is believed, however, that this figure falls far short of reflecting the more than 30,000 forced disappearances that have been reported.
FIDH has submitted several communications to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court requesting that those guilty of serious crimes within its jurisdiction be investigated and tried. >From the outset, FIDH has warned that the Uribe Vélez administration should withdraw its declaration under Article 124 of the Rome Statute that it does not accept ICC jurisdiction over war crimes committed by all armed groups in Colombia.
To date, 92% of the 30,000 demobilized paramilitaries have benefited from a de facto amnesty declared by decree. Only 8% come under the Justice and Peace Act, which has been implemented by decrees that do not respect the Constitutional Court’s ruling that the act should be amended to avoid violating the victims’ rights to truth, justice and reparations. The paramilitaries who do fall under the Justice and Peace Act are tried at so-called “free version” hearings and may be sentenced to no more than eight years of imprisonment, which they may serve in “work farms.” They may even impose their own conditions for “imprisonment,” which flies in the face of the most basic principles of justice in view of the seriousness of the crimes committed.
This report reveals the lack of true willingness on the part of the government to bring to trial and dismantle the paramilitary groups. It concludes that the International Criminal Court should also act to investigate and try those guilty of crimes against humanity committed in Colombia since November 1, 2002.
The “free version” hearings have, indeed, become a forum for justifying crimes and paramilitarism. The paramilitaries are not forced to confess to their crimes, disclose the truth about who supported their structures, or even show repentance for their crimes. They have not been forced to turn in all of their weapons or hand over their assets to compensate the victims, while the latter and their representatives have very limited access to hearings and are hindered from participating in them.
What is more, those victims who have attended the “free version” hearings have not received adequate protection. Already, sixteen of them have been murdered with absolute impunity.
FIDH also calls on the U.S. and European authorities to make their trade agreements conditional on respect for human rights in Colombia, and on the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC to open an investigation without further delay. Doing so could have a significant preventive effect.
FIDH concludes that this process has been set up for the purpose of removing the high paramilitary commands from the jurisdiction of the ICC. FIDH urges the Colombian administration to repeal the legal framework of the Justice and Peace Act or issue a legal framework that complies with international standards.
The report is available in spanish : http://www.fidh.org/IMG/pdf/Colombiejustice481-32007.pdf
[1] According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, 45,000 persons were displaced in 2005 and 67,000 in 2006. The figure is expected to near 72,000 in 2007 and to continue rising despite the supposed demobilization of the paramilitary groups, which continue to operate in different areas of Colombia.
http://www.fidh.org/IMG/pdf/Colombiejustice481-32007.pdf
La Federación Internacional de Derechos Humanos (FIDH) publica hoy su informe sobre la aplicación de la Ley de Justicia y Paz. Este informe es el resultado de más de dos años de trabajo, en colaboración con sus ligas en Colombia: el Colectivo de Abogados “José Alvear Restrepo”, ILSA y el Comité Permanente por la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos, y también se basa en la observación de las audiencias de Justicia y Paz que tuvieron lugar de mayo a julio de 2007 en los Tribunales de Justicia y Paz, en Bogotá, Medellín y Barranquilla.
La Ley de Justicia y Paz se inscribe en un marco jurídico más amplio que tiene por objetivo – según las autoridades - el desmovilizar a los paramilitares, responsables de crímenes de lesa humanidad, otras violaciones graves de derechos humanos y crímenes de guerra.
Las estructuras paramilitares han cometido durante su existencia un promedio de 60.000 crímenes de lesa humanidad o graves violaciones a los derechos humanos. Sin contar el más de un millón de personas desplazadas que serían causa directa de las estrategias de terror, las amenazas y el accionar paramilitar. Colombia es el segundo país en el mundo con más desplazamientos forzados. En el 2006, más de 219 000 personas han sido desplazadas, y el total es de más 380.000 familias registradas [1]. En Colombia, sólo entre enero y junio de 2007, más de 770 civiles han sido asesinados o víctimas de desaparición forzada. Más de 80 fosas comunes han sido descubiertas, al final del 2006, la Fiscalía estimó que todavía faltaban por encontrar más de 3.000 personas. Sin embargo, se considera que este dato está lejos de reflejar la denuncia de más de 30.000 desapariciones forzadas.
La FIDH ha presentado varias comunicaciones a la Fiscalía de la Corte Penal Internacional para que se investigue y juzgue a los responsables de crímenes graves de su jurisdicción. La FIDH, también advirtió desde un comienzo, que el Gobierno de Uribe Vélez debería retirar su declaración, hecha bajo en el artículo 124 del Estatuto de Roma, que sustrae de la competencia de la CPI, los crímenes de guerra cometidos por todos los grupos armados en Colombia.
Hoy en día, de los 30 000 paramilitares desmovilizados, el 92% benefició de un régimen de amnistía de facto instituido por decreto. Sólo un 8% recae bajo la competencia de la Ley de Justicia y Paz, implementada a través de decretos que no respetan la decisión de la Corte Constitucional, que estimó que la misma tenía que adaptarse para que no violara el derecho de las víctimas a la verdad, a la justicia y a la reparación. Los paramilitares que recaen bajo la Ley de Justicia y Paz están juzgados en audiencias denominadas « versiones libres », y pueden ser condenados a una pena máxima de 8 años, que pueden purgar en « granjas productivas », o imponiendo ellos sus condiciones de « reclusión » lo cual es contrario a los más elementales principios de justicia frente a la gravedad de los crímenes cometidos.
En este informe, se demuestra la falta de voluntad real del Estado de juzgar y desmantelar a los grupos paramilitares y se concluye, que de manera supletoria la Corte Penal Internacional debe actuar para investigar y juzgar a los responsables de crímenes de lesa humanidad cometidos en Colombia desde el 1ro de noviembre de 2002.
Efectivamente, las versiones libres se han convertido en apología del delito y del paramilitarismo. Los paramilitares no están obligados a confesar sus crímenes ni a develar la verdad de quiénes apoyaron sus estructuras, ni a mostrar siquiera arrepentimiento por sus crímenes, ni han sido obligados a entregar todas sus armas de guerra, ni tampoco a entregar sus bienes para reparar a las víctimas, mientras que éstas y sus representantes tienen un acceso muy limitado a las audiencias, se ven imponer obstáculos en su participación en las audiencias.
Además, las víctimas que han asistido a las audiencias de versión libre no han recibido adecuada protección. 16 de ellas ya han sido asesinadas en total impunidad.
La FIDH llama también a las autoridades estadounidenses y europeas para que condicionen sus acuerdos comerciales al respeto de los derechos humanos en Colombia y, a la Fiscalía de la CPI para que abra una investigación sin más demora, que podría cumplir un rol preventivo muy importante
La FIDH concluye que dicho proceso ha sido armado con el ánimo de sustraer los altos mandos del paramilitarismo a la jurisdicción de la CPI. La FIDH urge al gobierno colombiano a que abrogue el marco jurídico de la Ley de Justicia y Paz o en su lugar expedir un marco legal que cumpla con los estándares internacionales.
Ver también la declaración de Souhayr Belhassen, Presidente de la FIDH, en la rueda de prensa en Bogotá del 4 de octubre de 2007.
[1] Según el Comité Internacional de la Cruz Roja, en Colombia se desplazaron 45.000 personas en el 2005, 67.000 en el 2006 y se calcula que se llegará a cerca de 72.000 en el 2007, fenómeno que sigue en aumento a pesar de la supuesta desmovilización de los grupos paramilitares, los cuales siguen operando en las diferentes regiones del país
The vulnerability of children to involvement in armed conflict in Lebanon - October 2007
http://www.child-soldiers.org/document_get.php?id=1251