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Eastern Caribbean: LGBT People Face Bias, Violence

Repeal Colonial-Era Laws

(Bridgetown, Barbados, March 21, 2018) – Discriminatory laws in Eastern Caribbean countries make lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people targets for discrimination, violence and abuse, Human Rights Watch said in a report…
Jason (pseudonym), a 40-year-old gay man from Barbados.
News

AU's 'ICC Withdrawal Strategy' Less than Meets the Eye

Opposition to Withdrawal by States

The African Union made headlines Tuesday for purportedly agreeing to mass withdrawal from the International Criminal Court. The reality is more complex. The decision by AU member states welcomes the announced withdrawals by South Africa,…
A general view shows the headquarters of the African Union (AU) building in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, January 29, 2017.
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Africans Speak Out Against ICC Withdrawal

Governments Signal Continued Support for Court

The recent decisions by South Africa, Burundi, and Gambia to leave the International Criminal Court (ICC) are generating wide attention and speculation about a mass exodus from the court by African countries.  But think it’s clear where Africa stands on…
Stella Ndirangu of ICJ Kenya
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Dispatches: Justice for Victims of Charles Taylor’s Crimes, At Last

Charles Taylor is staying in prison. A United Nations-backed court today delivered an appeals judgment affirming the original verdict against the former Liberian president, upholding his 50-year sentence for war crimes and crimes against humanity…
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Dispatches: In Sierra Leone, Out of the Shadows and Back Again

Sierra Leone passed up a chance today for victims of its brutal civil war to see justice done. Ibrahim Bah, an alleged arms dealer to the notoriously brutal Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels during the war, was supposed to face the music in court.…
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Sierra Leone: Questions and Answers on Ibrahim Bah

1. Who is Ibrahim Bah? 2. What is the criminal prosecution against Bah? 3. What are the next steps? 4. Why didn’t the prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone indict Bah? 5. Why hasn’t the Sierra Leone government taken action against Bah?   1…
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Sierra Leone: Investigate Alleged Rebel Arms Supplier

FFormer Associate of Charles Taylor, Rebels Identified in Freetown

(Nairobi) – The Sierra Leone authorities should open a criminal investigation of a suspected arms supplier for his alleged involvement in international crimes during Sierra Leone’s civil war. This would be Sierra Leone’s first purely domestic prosecution…
News

International Justice: Taylor Trial Sets Positive Example

Sierra Leone Special Court Offers Lessons for Prosecuting Highest-Level Suspects

(Brussels) – The trial of the former Liberian President Charles Taylor for war crimes and crimes against humanity during Sierra Leone’s armed conflict was a largely well-run proceeding, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The trial…
News

Sierra Leone: 50-Year Sentence for Charles Taylor

(New York) – The sentencing of Charles Taylor to 50 years in prison on May 30, 2012 by the Special Court for Sierra Leone is a landmark in ensuring justice for the victims of Sierra Leone's brutal armed conflict, Human Rights Watch said today. “Crucial…
News

Africa: Fugitives Take Note - Justice Can Be Done

Liberia's "big man" surely thought he'd enjoy a comfortable retirement when he left power back in 2003. But on April 26 the Special Court for Sierra Leone convicted Charles Taylor for war crimes and crimes against humanity, proving that even the most…
News

If Charles Taylor Can Be Tried for War Crimes, Why Not Kissinger?

Should Vladimir Putin be studying the conviction of Charles Taylor, the former Liberian president? What about Henry Kissinger?   In April a United Nations–backed special tribunal in The Hague convicted Taylor of “aiding and abetting” the…
News

A victory for The Hague

Charles Taylor's guilt puts violent leaders in Syria and Libya on notice

The verdict against former Liberian President Charles Taylor at the Sierra Leone Special Court has been eagerly anticipated by many in Sierra Leone. But, as is often the case with abusive leaders wielding power, bringing Taylor to justice was once…
News

Sierra Leone: Landmark Conviction of Liberian Ex-President

World Less Hospitable for Leaders Who Commit Grave Crimes

(The Hague) – The conviction on April 26, 2012, of Charles Taylor, the former president of Liberia, for serious international crimes during Sierra Leone’s brutal armed conflict provides justice for victims and shows that no one is above the law, Human…
News

Child soldiers: A worldwide scourge

Joseph Kony, Thomas Lubanga and Charles Taylor are just the tip of the iceberg. The use of children as soldiers extends far beyond Africa. Last week in The Hague, the International Criminal Court, or ICC, found the Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga guilty…
News

How a Tribunal May Damage Its Legacy

As a newly minted investigator at the International Criminal Tribunal in Rwanda in 1995, I was not sure how people in Kigali, Rwanda's capital, would respond when I told them my line of work. In casual conversations at local restaurants I was surprised…
News

Turkey: Transgender Activist Murdered

Government Should Prosecute Violence, Prohibit Discrimination

(New York) - The killing of Ebru Soykan, a prominent transgender human rights activist, on March 10, 2009, shows a continuing climate of violence based on gender identity that authorities should urgently take steps to combat, Human Rights Watch said today…

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