176 results

International Justice Day Reminds Us: Without Accountability, There Is No Dignity

As we mark July 17, designated International Justice Day by the states parties of the International Criminal Court (ICC) just over two years ago, we should not limit our focus to the work of the court or criminal justice as such. Pursuing justice in the aftermath of atrocity presents an opportunity to do three crucial things: reaffirm a society’s shared values about basic ideas of right and wrong; restore confidence in the institutions of the state charged with protecting fundamental rights and freedoms; and recognize the human dignity of the victims of atrocities that have taken place.
07/17/12
In Focus

The Case for Justice

Why pursue transitional justice in the aftermath of massive human rights violations? “The Case for Justice” provides a window into the debate about the relevance of transitional justice in today’s world.

07/16/12
In Focus

A Year of Change: ICTJ's 2011 Annual Report

ICTJ recently released its 2011 annual report, covering the period from September 2010 through August 2011. Our tenth anniversary year, it has also been a period of transition for ICTJ and for transitional justice, as we responded to new opportunities in North Africa and the Middle East, and refocused on our future by embarking on a new strategic planning process.

07/09/12
In Focus

Zuma’s Presidential Pardons Process “Unconstitutional”

Almost 150 criminals, racist killers, and those responsible for mass atrocities committed during and immediately after apartheid have been recommended for special pardon in a deeply flawed and unconstitutional process headed by President Jacob Zuma, the South African Coalition for Transitional Justice (SACTJ) warned today.

06/15/12
Press Releases

Bosnia: The haunting legacy of Ratko Mladic

The trial of Ratko Mladic for genocide, crimes against humanity, and multiple war crimes committed during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, began yesterday. But these charges have done little to damage the hero status he enjoys today among the majority of Serbs, writes Refik Hodzic. Unless this legacy is addressed in the communities of Srebrenica and the rest of Bosnia, the outcome of his trial may prove to be merely symbolic, if that.
05/17/12
In Focus

Shadow of London “Orbit” in Bosnia: Steel, Blood, and the Suppression of Memory

As ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel company, invests 19.2 million pounds of steel to construct a monument marking London’s Olympic Games, a disturbing story is emerging about the refusal to memorialize a former concentration camp in Bosnia it owns today. Not only is ArcelorMittal unwilling to provide even a fraction of the cost of the London “Orbit” to commemorate the suffering of Bosnians in the notorious Omarska camp, but it has recently started denying victims access to the site.

04/23/12
In Focus

Spain Declares Itself Powerless

The Spanish Supreme Court has ruled the judiciary has no place investigating the deaths and disappearances of the Franco era. The verdict is a disappointment for the victims of Francoism and confirms Spain remains unwilling to deliver justice for the crimes of the past, writes Eduardo González, director of ICTJ's Truth and Memory program

03/09/12
In Focus

EU Must Protect Bosnia’s War Crimes Court

The War Crimes Chamber of Bosnia’s State Court is one of the most successful undertakings to address the legacy of mass atrocities in national courts. As this important institution finds itself under serious threat, the European Union must act quickly to put a stop to attempts of the Bosnian Serb political leadership to undermine Bosnia’s capacity to prosecute war crimes at state level.

02/08/12
In Focus

Greentree Meeting Advances Complementarity from Policy to Practice

As ICTJ co-hosts a discussion on complementarity on the margins of the Assembly of State Parties (ASP) of the International Criminal Court (ICC), the principle of ensuring accountability for serious crimes has seen a major breakthrough at a recent high-level meeting at Greentree. The meeting brought together international justice actors, development practitioners, UN representatives, and national rule of law actors to discuss the practical implementation of complementarity and how to strengthen domestic systems seeking to investigate serious crimes.

12/16/11
In Focus

ICTJ Welcomes the Election of Fatou Bensouda as Prosecutor of the ICC

NEW YORK, Dec. 14, 2011—ICTJ welcomes the election of Fatou Bensouda of Gambia as the next prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Ms. Bensouda was unanimously elected December 12 by the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) during its 10th session in New York City, and will be the court's second prosecutor, commencing in June 2012.

12/14/11
Press Releases

Impact of the Yugoslav and Rwanda Tribunals: Lessons for the International Criminal Court

View the live broadcast of tonight's panel discussion with Richard Goldstone, David Tolbert, Hassan Jallow and Diane Orentlicher from 6:30pm–8:30pm.

11/29/11
In Focus

Truth-seeking in the Western Balkans: Initiative for a Regional Truth Commission

Join ICTJ as we co-host a delegation of RECOM’s leaders at two events in New York on November 14 and 15. They will share their experience campaigning for truth in the Western Balkans, present the draft mandate submitted to the presidents of the region, and discuss a successful public campaign that has gathered over 500,000 signatures in support of the commission.

11/08/11
In Focus

Truth-Seeking and the Challenge of Sustainable Peace

ICTJ hosted its third Intensive Course, Truth-seeking and the Challenge of Sustainable Peace, on September 26–30. Based on concrete field experience, the participants explored the relationship between truth-seeking and peace in societies that have experienced or are still experiencing armed conflict.

10/05/11
In Focus

Speaking Clearly: The ICC's Challenge in the Middle East and North Africa

The International Criminal Court (ICC) must better communicate what is driving its actions to the public of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and elsewhere around the world if it is to develop confidence in its capacity to act as a guardian of international criminal law.

06/09/11
In Focus

South Africa: New Reparations Plan Embitters Many Victims

On May 11, the South African Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DOJ) invited comments on new regulations governing the distribution of reparations to victims of the apartheid era in the form of medical and educational benefits. Civil society organizations and groups representing survivors’ interests have raised concerns regarding the scope of the regulations, as well as the DOJ’s overall failure to engage with survivors and consider their views when drafting reparations policies.

06/06/11
In Focus

Genocide a Fitting Charge for Mladic

The arrest of Ratko Mladic reignited debates on a wide spectrum of related issues, from its implications on the prospects for true reckoning with the past in the countries of the former Yugoslavia to the possible jolt it will give to Serbia’s hopes of joining the European Union. Beyond the immediate impact on the region, the strongest reverberations of Mladic’s transfer to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) will be felt in the discourse on international justice.

06/02/11
In Focus

Amnesty Does Not Erase the Truth

South Africa’s Constitutional Court recently made a landmark ruling on the right to speak the truth about crimes amnestied by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. ICTJ Truth-Seeking Consultant Howard Varney speaks about the ruling and its significance for South Africa and other countries.

05/02/11
In Focus

On Sequences and Linkages: the Relationship between Justice, Security and Development

Some habits die hard. This is especially true of ways of thinking. Despite significant changes in national and international law and practice in the last thirty years—the period that corresponds with the emergence of transitional justice as a field—the recent upheaval in the Middle East and Northern Africa region has provoked proposals that hearken back to a period that we may have thought long gone.

04/29/11
In Focus

Transcript of the Interview with Albie Sachs

SEILS: ICTJ are delighted to host today a real giant in the world of political and legal struggle. Albie Sachs has not only played a huge and influential role in the development of the South African constitution but after being nominated by Nelson Mandela for 15 years in the new constitutional court...

04/25/11
In Focus

The Future of International Justice: National Courts Supported by International Expertise

It is highly unlikely that we will see ad hoc international tribunals or elaborate hybrid courts such as the SCSL and the ECCC in the future, asserted ICTJ President David Tolbert at an expert meeting about the future of international justice in light of past experiences and progress made at the...

04/22/11
In Focus

South Africa: Constitutional Court Upholds Right to Express the Truth

CAPE TOWN, April 8, 2011—In a landmark judgment handed down today the Constitutional Court upheld the rights of victims of apartheid era abuses, as well as the media and public, to speak the truth about crimes amnestied by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). The court held that truth...

04/08/11
Press Releases

Israel: Time to Heed Victims' Call for Justice

NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2010--Ten years after Israeli security forces killed 13 Palestinian demonstrators, 12 of them citizens of Israel, the families' calls for accountability have gone unanswered, the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) said today. "Despite an official commission of...

10/04/10
Press Releases

Serbian Declaration on Srebrenica Massacre an Imperfect but Important Step

On March 31, 2010, the Serbian parliament adopted a declaration "condemning in strongest terms the crime committed in July 1995 against Bosniac population of Srebrenica" and apologizing to the families of the victims. The declaration is a step in the right direction and, potentially, an educational...

04/09/10
In Focus

Impact of the Yugoslav and Rwanda Tribunals: Lessons for the International Criminal Court

ICTJ and the Center for Global Affairs of New York University (NYU) co-hosted a panel discussion on the impact of international ad hoc tribunals in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, and the possible lessons these courts’ experiences hold for the International Criminal Court (ICC). In a discussion...

12/01/09
In Focus

UN General Assembly Resolution on Goldstone Report

Your Excellency, We, the undersigned civil society organizations, are writing to urge your government to support recommendations in the Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict (Goldstone Report) and work with others in the General Assembly to secure adoption of a...

11/02/09
In Focus