Why Justice Matters: Daily Brief

International Criminal Justice Day on July 17, will be marked by governments' unprecedented commitments to pursue justice for the grave abuses committed in Ukraine. Human Rights Watch and civil society partners from around the world are calling for countries to take concrete steps to demonstrate that justice for serious crimes matters, regardless of where abuses are committed and by whom. HRW's #JusticeMatters checklist should help governments identify concrete actions to take in order to extend the reach of justice to other places where serious crimes are committed, including expanding the International Criminal Court membership, prosecuting grave crimes domestically, or restraining UN Security Council veto.

US president Joseph Biden will be visiting Saudi Arabia this week amid reports his administration is discussing lifting the ban on US sales of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia. Considering the documented use of US weapons in unlawful airstrikes by the Saudi-UAE coalition, such a move would further undermine Biden's commitment to a US human rights agenda in its foreign policy. The US should instead support efforts to document abuses in the Yemen War. 

In a landmark decision, a Swedish court found an Iranian official guilty over the 1988 mass executions, which, according to Human Rights Watch, amount to crimes against humanity. It was the first time an Iranian official appeared before a judicial body for these abuses, giving a unique opportunity for survivors to testify in a court of law. In the summer 1988, Iranian authorities summarily executed thousands of political prisoners, supporters of an armed opposition group, and other leftist political parties. It had been decades that the victim's and survivors' families have sought justice for these crimes. 

For the upcoming elections in Brazil in October voters deserve a peaceful election process and a substantive debate about issues that affect them. In Brazil, serious human rights problems are rooted in systemic racism, police brutality, gender-based violence, discrimination against people with disabilities, and the attacks against environmental defenders. Candidates should put forward concrete proposals to improve protection of basic rights and strengthen the rule of law. Brazilians should engage in electoral debates without fear of retaliation for their political views. 

Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has now officially resigned, amid the country's worst economic crisis on record. Street protesters, who have continued to take the streets in spite of his departure, deserve their rights to be protected during this uncertain period. If you want to hear more about how their rights to protest should be protected, and what's next for Sri Lanka, join today's Twitter Space discussion.