• Senegal: Agreement on Habré Court
    Jul 24, 2012

    Senegal’s agreement on July 24, 2012, to establish a special court to try the former dictator of Chad, Hissène Habré, if swiftly implemented, could mark a turning point in the long campaign to bring him to justice, a coalition of human rights groups said today.
     

  • Tunisia: Flaws in the Landmark Ben Ali Verdict
    Jul 5, 2012
    The trial before the Le Kef military Tribunalof former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and others underscores the steps that must be taken if Tunisia’s judiciary is to hold officials of the ousted regime fully and fairly accountable for human rights violations. Human Rights Watch observed the trial for killing protesters during Tunisia’s 2010-2011 uprising, which concluded on June 13, 2012, and studied parts of the 1,066-page written verdict.
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Peace and Justice

  • Letter on the October 17 Thematic Debate at the Security Council on the Council's Relationship with the ICC
    Oct 16, 2012

    We are writing in regard to the United Nations Security Council thematic debate on October 17 on “Peace and Justice, with a Special Focus on the Role of the International Criminal Court.” We believe the session offers ICC state parties, both on and off the Council, a unique opportunity to urge the Security Council to manage its relationship with the ICC in a principled, consistent way that better ensures accountability for the most serious crimes while respecting the needs of the Court.

  • Senegal: Agreement on Habré Court
    Jul 24, 2012

    Senegal’s agreement on July 24, 2012, to establish a special court to try the former dictator of Chad, Hissène Habré, if swiftly implemented, could mark a turning point in the long campaign to bring him to justice, a coalition of human rights groups said today.
     

  • Libya Slogs Toward Democracy
    Jul 24, 2012
    No doubt Libya’s transition will have dramatic twists and turns. Regionalism, poverty and well-armed militias pose serious threats. But this month Libyans took an important step to transform their country from the domain of one man to the home of many.
  • Tunisia: Flaws in the Landmark Ben Ali Verdict
    Jul 5, 2012
    The trial before the Le Kef military Tribunalof former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and others underscores the steps that must be taken if Tunisia’s judiciary is to hold officials of the ousted regime fully and fairly accountable for human rights violations. Human Rights Watch observed the trial for killing protesters during Tunisia’s 2010-2011 uprising, which concluded on June 13, 2012, and studied parts of the 1,066-page written verdict.
  • UN Human Rights Council: Strong Message on Bahrain Abuses
    Jun 28, 2012

    For the first time, 28 countries, including Mexico, Norway, Costa Rica, France, and Germany, condemned ongoing violations in Bahrain through a joint collective declaration pronounced by Swirtzerland during a UN Human Rights Council debate. But the United States, the United Kingdom (UK), and eight other European Union (EU) states remained silent.

  • Libya: Abu Salim Prison Massacre Remembered
    Jun 27, 2012
    The sixteenth anniversary of the Abu Salim prison massacreon June 28 to 29, 2012, offers victims’ families across Libya the first chance to commemorate the 1996 tragedy without fear of government repression.
  • Joint NGO Call to State Delegations at the 20th Session of UN Human Rights Council for Action on Bahrain
    Jun 19, 2012

    Since February 2011 the human rights situation in Bahrain has witnessed a severe deterioration. Widespread human rights violations have been carried out against peaceful protestors calling for democratic reform. Despite the establishment of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) in June 2011, and the BICI’s findings of gross human rights violations, including torture and extra-judicial killings attributable to the government of Bahrain, the government has continued unabated its use of repressive and unlawful measures against mostly peaceful protestors, human rights defenders, and democracy activists, and frequent use of excessive force in cases of violent protests.  Meanwhile, the government has failed to implement the key BICI recommendations regarding political prisoners and accountability for serious human rights crimes. 

  • Tunisia: Q&A on the Trial of Ben Ali, Others for Killing Protesters
    Jun 11, 2012
    Verdicts are expected next week in the trial of former President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali and his security chiefs, the first concerning the killing of protesters during Tunisia’s uprising in December 2010 and January 2011.
  • Mubarak Convicted, but Abuses Continue in Egypt
    Jun 10, 2012
    The failure to determine any direct responsibility on the part of those actually commanding the security forces leaves the Mubarak and Adli convictions open to doubt and reversal on appeal and sheds no light on the operation of the "deep state" machinery of repression.
  • UN: HRW Statement on Peace and Justice at the Arria Formula Meeting of the Security Council
    Jun 1, 2012

    As an organization that monitors human rights in more than 80 countries, Human Rights Watch often encounters heated debate about the relationship between peace and justice. Our brief intervention today thus focuses on this issue. Justice is an important objective in its own right, including to provide a measure of redress to victims of abuses and to establish a historical record. Investigating and prosecuting grave international crimes, such as war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide is moreover a legal obligation for states under international law.

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