Letters about United Kingdom
Human Rights Watch writes to Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Rt Hon David Miliband, on the consequences of the UK and Ethiopian governments signing the Memorandum of Understanding which would do little to curb acts of torture in Ethiopia.
Sep 17, 2009
The upcoming inquiry into the Iraq war, announced by Prime Minister Gordon Brown on June 15, provides a crucial forum to investigate the actions of the United Kingdom in Iraq over the last eight years.
Aug 12, 2009
We write to express concern over shortcomings in the International Criminal Court Act (ICCA) of 2001, particularly with respect to jurisdiction over the crime of genocide. We urge the government of the United Kingdom to amend the ICCA in order to ensure that the world's worst crimes, including crimes of genocide, may be prosecuted in UK domestic courts and to prevent the UK from becoming a refuge for the perpetrators of these heinous crimes.
May 12, 2009
Human Rights Watch writes to the Cayman Islands Governor urging support for full protections against discrimination in the new constitution of the Cayman Islands, a British Overseas Territory.
Mar 11, 2009
We write in advance of Parliament’s debate on the renewal of the control order regime under sections 1 through 9 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005.
Mar 2, 2009
We are writing to call your attention to the conclusions of two recent reviews of the United Kingdom's human rights record by authoritative international human rights bodies.
Oct 8, 2008
On August 21, 2008, Binyam Mohamed, a former UK resident detained at Guantanamo who is slated for trial before the military commissions, won the first stage in a battle for access to evidence showing he was tortured. The British government, which previously refused to turn over evidence that may back up Mohamed’s claims, was given one week by a UK court to reconsider its refusal, concluding that the information is essential for Mohamed to adequately defend himself. In a letter sent today, Human Rights Watch urges the British government to disclose to Mohamed’s lawyers any and all evidence it has about his interrogation and detention.
Aug 22, 2008
We are writing in advance of the upcoming Article 36 Committee
meeting in Brussels, at which you will discuss the EU Network of contact points in respect of persons responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes (EU Network).
Apr 1, 2008
Last month Human Rights Watch wrote to the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, in advance of his trip to China, raising a number of concerns about domestic human rights issues and foreign policies with human rights ramifications. We have not received a response to that letter, and we are concerned at the Prime Minister’s failure to publicly discuss human rights issues during his visit despite the subsequent round of the UK-China human rights dialogue and the upcoming Olympic Games. We write again to urge you to take a strong public position in support of human rights on your upcoming visit to Beijing.
Feb 20, 2008