newsletter No Peace Without Justice, XII-2013
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| Per la versione italiana clicca qui | ||
| December 2013 Editor-in-Chief: Nicola Giovannini Managing Editor: Alessandro Manno |
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Highlights |
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Tunisia: NPWJ welcomes the adoption of the legislation on transitional justice, but cautions on final stages of the process |
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Alison Smith*, Brussels-Rome, 16 December 2013
On 14 December 2013, three years after the revolution that ousted former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the Tunisian National Constituent Assembly adopted crucial legislation for its democratic transition: the Transitional Justice Legislation which reaffirms Tunisia’s commitment to provide accountability and redress for victims of human rights violations.
This adoption concludes a legislative process that started in late January this year. The process included the national dialogue on transitional justice, which was conducted from April to October 2012, engaging the population through consultations around the country and fostering a sense of ownership among Tunisians. No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ), in partnership with Al-Kawakibi Democracy Transition Center (KADEM), contributed substantially to the national dialogue and the drafting process through a range of activities under the Transitional Justice Academy.
Tunisia has chosen the right path by following a participatory approach during the initial stages of preparation of the legislation. However,due to the difficulties with the current political situation in the country and the pressure to finalise the Tunisian Constitution, the Constituent Assembly did not consult sufficiently on the draft legislation, which was adopted in only two days. The legislation envisages the establishment of a Commission on Truth and Dignity, of which the Constituent Assembly will elect the Commissioners. NPWJ and the NRPTT call on the Constituent Assembly to involve all relevant stakeholders, including civil society, through an open and transparent process, in order to ensure the legitimacy of the Commission on Truth and Dignity: it is critical that the Constituent Assembly engage the Tunisian population in this decision affecting their lives.
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* Alison Smith is Legal Counsel and Director of International Criminal Justice Program of NPWJ
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NPWJ, NRPTT, Freedom House, PGA and other NGOs call on Bahrain to drop all charges against Khalil Almarzooq |
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12 December 2013
On the day of the third trial hearing in the case of Khalil Almarzooq, No Peace Without Justice and the Nonviolent Radical Party, Transnational and Transparty, together with Freedom House, Parliamentarians for Global Action and other international and Bahraini NGOs have released a joint statement calling on the Bahraini authorities to drop all charges against Khalil Almarzooq, leading opposition politician and former Deputy Speaker of Parliament.
Khalil Almarzooq was arrested on 17 September 2013 and detained for more than 30 days before being released on bail at a hearing on 24 October 2013. He is charged with inciting terrorism and violence. If Mr Almarzooq is found guilty, he faces up to 15 years in prison and the possibility of his citizenship being revoked, as stipulated in the recent anti-terrorism laws.
The charges against him are without substance and nothing more than a pretext for a politically motivated attack on an individual who has been vocal in his advocacy of democracy and human rights in Bahrain. Mr Almarzooq has worked tirelessly to encourage and inspire nonviolent and peaceful protest by the opposition and others in Bahrain. A peaceful solution to the current human rights’ crisis in Bahrain will be achieved only if figures like Mr Almarzooq as well as all prisoners of conscience and human rights defenders, who are committed to peaceful, nonviolent democracy, are free to fully contribute to the process.
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Syria: NPWJ and NRPTT firmly condemn the abduction of Razan Zeitouneh along with three other prominent human rights activists |
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Niccoló Figa-Talamanca*, Brussels - Gaziantep, 11 December 2013
No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ) and the Nonviolent Radical Party, Transnational and Transparty (NRPTT) strongly condemn the abduction of our friend and partner Ms. Razan Zaitouneh along with three other Syrian prominent human rights activists and call for their safe, immediate and unconditional release.
Ms. Zeitouneh and her colleagues are iconic examples of those who have risked the most on a daily basis to document the Syrian uprising and the government crackdown against it as well as to help Syrians in the liberated areas to rule and provide for themselves, despite the tremendous hurdles they must jump to do so. Their abductions are a stark illustration of the increasing attempts by the most violent factions of the Syrian insurgency to undermine any form of civil action in the liberated areas and to silence advocates of freedom and human rights that were the original demands of those protesting against the Assad government in early 2011.
Regardless of the name in which these vicious attacks against grassroots activists and others are being carried out, they must stop and all armed groups operating in these areas should ensure the safety and protection of its inhabitants. We further urge the international community, and in particular the European Union and its member States, to take urgent action to ensure the release of Ms. Razan Zaitouneh and her colleagues and to seek assurances that their safety and well-being will be guaranteed.
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* Niccoló Figa-Talamanca is Secretary-General of No Peace Without Justice
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Sierra Leone: NPWJ says farewell to the Special Court for Sierra Leone, with pride in our partnership and gratitude for a job exceptionally well done |
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Alison Smith*, Brussels - Rome, 2 December 2013
On the day that formally marks the closure of the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL), No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ) and the Nonviolent Radical Party, Transnational and Transparty (NRPTT) acknowledge the remarkable work of this Court, the tremendous impact it has had on the people of Sierra Leone and Liberia and, above all, its historic achievements in the accountability process for the people of Sierra Leone and for international criminal justice world-wide.
We are proud to have contributed to the establishment and functioning of the Special Court over the last more than twelve years. Through the successful completion of its mandate, this body brought an essential contribution to Sierra Leone’s long road towards ending impunity for the horrors of the armed conflict committed between 1996 and 2002. Chief among these contributions has been providing justice and redress to the victims and populations affected by it. As highlighted by a recent survey conducted by NPWJ and its Sierra Leonean and Liberian partners, at the request of the SCSL, the main reason the SCSL had the impact it did was twofold: much of this success can be attributed to the work of the Outreach section and to the vision established during the early stages of the Court of it being an institution embedded in and responsive to the expectations and needs of the people affected by the crimes it was investigating and prosecuting.
We strongly urge the international community, and particularly States who have been friends to Sierra Leone over the years, to ensure that the Residual Special Court has the resources needed to ensure the sustainability of the SCSL’s legacy for justice, reconciliation and the rule of law. This is important not only for the Government and people of Sierra Leone and Liberia, it is also critical for future international criminal justice initiatives in Africa and worldwide, including the International Criminal Court.
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* Alison Smith is Legal Counsel and Director of the International Criminal Justice Program of No Peace Without Justice
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| NPWJ events | ||
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Female Genital Mutilation: Analysis on full implementation prospects of Ban FGM Resolution, one year after its adoption by the UNGA |
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Rome-Addid Ababa, 20 December 2013
On the first anniversary of the adoption by the United Nations of the Resolution banning Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), No Peace Without Justice organised a meeting, at the historical seat of the Radical Party in Rome, with the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Emma Bonino, activists and supporters of the Ban FGM campaign.
The purpose of the meeting was to present the progress made during this year on the full implementation of the Resolution, together with the commitment of governments and African activists who have contributed to achieve this landmark result. Representatives of African governments and civil society, connected from Addis Ababa, where NPWJ, together with the UN and the Inter-African Committee, was organizing a high-level event for the launch of the UN-ECA campaign (United Nations Economic Commission for Africa) for implementing the Resolution, gave testimony of all actions taken last year, the results obtained and the future projects.
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Libya: NPWJ supports investigations on massive Human Rights abuses in Misurata |
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Misurata, Libya, 16-18 December 2013
NPWJ conducted a three-day field visit to Misurata, on 16-18 December 2013, in the framework of its Transitional Justice Program. The purpose of the visit, organised in collaboration with the Libyan Ministry of Justice and the Criminal Court of Misurata, was to conduct a training on Transitional Justice at Misurata University, to increase collaboration with the local prosecutors and legal practitioners involved in investigating crimes under international law, and to visit Misurata criminal court and some detention centres. Misurata was an important location of the revolution in Libya where massive fighting occurred during the conflict.
More than 20 participants, including law students, lawyers, prosecutors and human rights activists, attended the training course, which focused on specific challenges related to investigation, documentation and prosecution of crimes and human rights abuses within the Libyan context. Participants also discussed legislative reforms carried out by the Libyan authorities, including the newly approved Transitional Justice law, and compared them with other similar initiatives, in particular the ongoing transitional justice process in Tunisia. On 14-15 December 2013, NPWJ also supported and contributed to a Transitional Justice Outreach Initiative , organised by the Libyan Youth Union (LYU) in Tobruk and attended by fifty young activists.
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Syria: NPWJ supports civil society capacity on documenting sexual and gender based violence |
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Gaziantep, Turkey, 9-12 December 2013
Two years after the Syrian people joined the Arab Spring and were violently and brutally suppressed by the Assad regime, the crisis continues to deteriorate at a rapid pace. The warring parties are arming themselves with accelerated speed and unleashing increased levels of violence and violations of humanitarian and international law upon the civilian population, including particularly vulnerable groups such as women, young people and children. Whether these dynamics can be changed depends on breaking the expectation of impunity and rewards for violence, by building the strength of Syrian human rights activists and political actors to demand justice and accountability, and building the capacity of the judiciary and legal profession to play their part as justice-providers.
To that end, No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ) is supporting the efforts and enhancing the capacity of Syrian civil society groups, human rights and democracy activists to document and report on crimes and abuses committed in Syria, including with a view to lay the foundation for future criminal investigations and prosecutions. As part of that work, NPWJ held a training course on “Documenting Violations Against Women”, on 9-12 December 2013, in Gaziantep, Turkey, together with Assistance Cooperation Unit (ACU) and the Violations Documentation Centre in Syria (VDC), and with the support of the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Participants in the training, which was attended by the newly-appointed Minister of Justice of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, Mr Fayez Al Daher, included representatives from ACU, VDC, lawyers, judges, police officers, women’s rights activists, social workers, moderate religious leaders and representatives of informal associations and NGOs working on investigation and documentation inside Syria.
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NPWJ on Radio Radicale |
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Have Breakfast with No Peace Without Justice |
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Every Friday at 06h20
No Peace Without Justice and Radio Radicale, the foremost Italian nationwide all-news radio, have an ongoing partnership to provide news and information on our activities to a broad Italian audience. This partnership features an in-depth weekly program on NPWJ’s current campaigns and activities. The program is broadcast in Italian every Friday morning immediately before the main news summary.
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NPWJ press releases |
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Christmas 2013: 3rd March for Amnesty, Justice and Freedom, from St. Peter’s Square to Palazzo Chigi Female Genital Mutilation: Analysis on full implementation prospects of Ban FGM Resolution, one year after its adoption by the UNGA. With the participation of the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emma Bonino Libya: NPWJ supports investigations on massive Human Rights abuses in Misurata Tunisia: NPWJ welcomes the adoption of the legislation on transitional justice, but cautions on final stages of the process NPWJ supports Libyan Youth Union in organising second Youth Day on Transitional Justice NPWJ, NRPTT, Freedom House, PGA and other NGOs call on Bahrain to drop all charges against Khalil Almarzooq Syria: NPWJ and NRPTT firmly condemn the abduction of Razan Zeitouneh along with three other prominent human rights activists Syria: NPWJ supports civil society capacity on documenting sexual and gender based violence Nelson Mandela: an example of vision, commitment and action NPWJ congratulates IRA President Biram Dah Abeid for Winning UN Human Rights Prize Sierra Leone: NPWJ says farewell to the Special Court for Sierra Leone, with pride in our partnership and gratitude for a job exceptionally well done ICC: NPWJ welcomes positive steps for early outreach and impact, but cautions against erosion of the principle of equality before the law for all, irrespective of official capacity |
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NPWJ in the news |
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Young people in Tobruk find out more about transitional justice International, Bahraini NGOs call on Bahrain to drop all charges against Khalil Almarzooq Syria: Victims of conventional weapons on the rise Siria: sempre piu' vittime con armi convenzionali Siria: sempre più vittime con armi convenzionali NPWJ says farewell to the Special Court for Sierra Leone Giustizia di transizione in Siria States: Use ICC System to Eliminate Grave Crimes against Women International Criminal Court/Bonino: cooperation by member states crucial |
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