429 results

Our Voices Will Not be Silenced: Charting Women's Struggle for Justice in Tunisia

The voices of Tunisian women were in danger of being lost in the country's transitional process. Salwa El Gantri explains how one network of women's organizations made sure that did not happen by helping women find their voice and fight for justice.

06/21/16

by

Salwa El Gantri

In Focus

Survivors Speak: Book Launch and Workshop on Women and Girls in Conflict

Evelyn Amony tells the harrowing story of her years in captivity with the LRA, and experience of grinding poverty and stigma after returning home with two children, in her new memoir, I Am Evelyn Amony: Reclaiming my Life from the Lord's Resistance Army . The autobiography, which tells the difficult truths of women and girls in wartime as only a firsthand witness can, will be launched today in New York, at the Japan Society.
06/15/16
Press Releases

“It Was a Way to Destroy Our Lives:” Tunisian Women Speak Out on Religious Discrimination

For decades, veiled women in Tunisia were deprived of their rights and discriminated against because of their religious beliefs. Now, they’re joining together to tell their stories and seek justice from the Tunisian government.

06/14/16
In Focus

ICTJ Conference Explores Efforts at Redress, Accountability and Reform in African Great Lakes Region

Today, ICTJ opened a two-day conference in Kampala, Uganda, gathering activists and officials from the African Great Lakes Region to discuss efforts at redress and accountability for serious human rights violations committed in their countries.

05/17/16
Press Releases

ICTJ Partners Victims, Civil Society and Officials on Transitional Justice in Great Lakes Region

Civil society leaders, members of victims' groups and state officials throughout the Great Lakes region will convene in Kampala, Uganda next week at a conference hosted by ICTJ. Attendees will share their experiences working for redress in their communities and discuss what strategies have proven effective at the local level.

05/12/16
In Focus

Online Debate: Does Collective Remembrance of a Troubled Past Impede Reconciliation?

After a society is torn apart by conflict or repression, who decides whether to remember or forget the painful past? Can forgiveness happen without acknowledgement of wrongdoing? Is there a difference between forgetting and denial? Join us as ICTJ debates the impact of remembrance on reconciliation with David Rieff and Pablo de Greiff.

05/04/16
In Focus

Tunisia: Uphold Rights While Fighting Terrorism

ICTJ joins groups calling for an anti-terrorism approach that respects citizens' rights in Tunisia. “Institutional reform can be a strong tool to prevent recurrence of human rights abuses and build a strong and credible democracy in Tunisia," said Salwa El Gantri, ICTJ Head of Office in Tunisia. "The current transitional justice process aims to shed light on similar violations that took place under the dictatorship, and we don’t want them to be committed again under the ‘fight against terrorism’ slogan.”

04/28/16
Press Releases

Justice in Syria Depends on Working with the Displaced Now, Says ICTJ Paper

In a new briefing paper, ICTJ's Paul Seils and Roger Duthie examine what steps the international community can take during a crisis to support democracy and accountability.

04/20/16
Press Releases

The Case for Action on Transitional Justice and Displacement

As the refugee crisis deepens, does action on transitional justice issues have to wait for peace? A new paper explores what sort of consultation and documentation work can be done now, while conflict is ongoing, to shape outcomes moving forward.

by

Roger Duthie and Paul Seils

Briefing Paper

ICTJ Condemns Egypt’s Continued Crackdown Against Human Rights Activists

The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) condemns in the strongest terms the Egyptian government’s crackdown against human rights activists and calls on it to halt its ongoing investigation of independent human rights organizations in relation to the legitimate exercise of their activities and to close Case No. 173 (the “NGO foreign funding” case) once and for all.

03/28/16
Press Releases

Truth is the First Step Towards Peace

As we search for ways to halt the violence and foster lasting peace in societies grappling with a legacy of massive human rights abuse, there is arguably no more important day to reflect upon the importance of the struggle for truth and justice than today, March 24. Thus, we take a moment to mark the International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims.

03/24/16
In Focus

Great Lakes Conference Marks Significant Step in Regional Cooperation in Fight Against Impunity

The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) and the UN Joint Office for Human Rights (UNJHRO), in collaboration with the Office of the UN Special Envoy on the Great Lakes Region and with the financial support of the European Commission, held a conference on March 15-16 to strengthen judicial cooperation in the fight against impunity for international crimes in the Great Lakes Region.

03/17/16
In Focus

ICTJ Brings Together the DRC, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania to Discuss Response to International Crimes

Eastern DRC continues to be affected by conflict and serious crimes continue to be committed against civilians living in the area by the national army (FARDC), national armed groups, and foreign armed forces. Holding perpetrators accountable is essential to dismantling the structures that allow the ongoing cycle of abuses to continue in the DRC.

03/14/16
In Focus

Negotiating Peace and Justice: A Course on the Place of Transitional Justice in Peace Processes

The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) and the Barcelona International Peace Resource Center (BIPRC) are pleased to announce an Intensive Course on Transitional Justice and Peace Processes, taking place in Barcelona, Spain, June 6 - 10, 2016. It will focus on practical examples of recent or paradigmatic peace processes where the question of justice formed a significant part of the negotiating context.

03/10/16
In Focus

“Only Truth Could Heal This Pain”: Algerian Women Speak of Their Search for the Disappeared

For more than two decades, some 40 women have been protesting every Wednesday against government inaction on the disappeared in front of Algeria’s official human rights commission. They stand on the sidewalk holding photos of their disappeared relatives — their children, fathers, and husbands — breaking the silence at a dangerous time in Algeria.

03/08/16
In Focus

Photos by Youth on the Scars of the Lebanon War Spark Debate at Exhibit Opening

Earlier this month, the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) and its partners opened a two-week photo exhibit at the American University of Beirut’s Jafet Library, featuring vivid and often deeply personal photographs submitted for its “The War As I See It” youth photo contest. Students, professors, experts, and journalists packed into the library space lined with the 26 photographs in oversized frames.

02/26/16
In Focus

ICTJ and Cardozo School of Law Partner on a Research Project on the Missing and Disappeared

ICTJ and the Human Rights and Atrocity Prevention Clinic at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law are pleased to announce a strategic research partnership to examine international law and practice regarding enforced disappearance and the missing.

02/11/16
Press Releases

"The War as I See It": Photo Contest & Exhibition

In October 2015, ICTJ asked Lebanese young people to use their cameras to explore their understanding of the Lebanese civil war as it shapes their country’s past and present. "The War as I See It" youth photo contest was organized to raise awareness about the importance of truth seeking...

05/19/24
Photos

Morocco Still a Model for Justice in MENA, but Questions Remain

The month of January has a particular significance in the Middle East and North Africa. It was the month when the Arab uprisings were sparked five years ago. It was also the month when the transitional justice process was inaugurated in Morocco, 12 years ago. What can be learned from Morocco’s experience?

02/08/16
In Focus

Lebanon: ICTJ Study Shows Viability of a National Commission to Uncover Fate of the Missing and Disappeared

Twenty-five years after the end of the Lebanese Civil War, the families of the missing and forcibly disappeared in Lebanon are still waiting for answers about the fate of their loved ones. A new report by the International Center for Transitional Justice says the country seems to be ready to address this issue through an independent national commission and lays out the features of a successful future commission.

01/26/16
Press Releases

The Missing in Lebanon: Inputs on the Establishment of the Independent National Commission for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared in Lebanon

This study provides expert financial and operational analysis and information to help facilitate the establishment of an Independent National Commission for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared in Lebanon, as envisaged in a draft consolidated bill now before the Lebanese Parliament. ...

Report

Activists and Magistrates Join Forces to Tackle International Crimes in DRC

In meeting spaces in Goma, Bukavu, and Bunia, activists and magistrates are discussing ways that they can work together to improve the prosecution of international crimes in the region and address the concerns of local communities.

12/10/15
In Focus

Civil Society Groups and Members of the Judiciary Discuss Greater Collaboration on Prosecution of International Crimes in the DRC

ICTJ held a series of workshops in Goma, Bukavu, and Bunia, Eastern DRC, from November 13 until November 20 to discuss opportunities for greater interaction and collaboration between civil society and criminal justice officials to advance the prosecution of international crimes in the Congo, in order to better address the concerns of affected communities.

11/30/15
Press Releases

ICTJ Calls for Immediate Release of Egyptian Activist Hossam Bahgat

ICTJ finds the arrest of Hossam Bahgat, one of Egypt’s leading human rights activists, an ominous sign of the country’s continuous slide into oppression under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

11/09/15
Press Releases

“THE WAR AS I SEE IT”: Photo Contest Invites Lebanese Youth to Show Effects of the Civil War Through Their Eyes

In commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the end of the Lebanese civil war, ICTJ is holding a youth photo contest to raise awareness about the importance of truth seeking and truth telling about people’s experiences of the war and post-war violence.

10/23/15
Press Releases

In the Shadows of the Nobel Prize - Impunity Still a Threat to Tunisia’s Transition

In this op-ed, Rim El Gantri, head of ICTJ's Tunisian office, discusses the challenges facing Tunisia's transitional justice process and argues that the government's failure to provide accountability for crimes committed under past regimes threatens the country's transition to democracy.

10/16/15
In Focus

Nobel Peace Prize Recognizes Key Role of Tunisia’s Civil Society in Country’s Transition

ICTJ welcomes the award of the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize to Tunisia's National Dialogue Quartet for helping the country transition to democracy. With the award, the Nobel committee acknowledges the "decisive contribution" made by the group of civil society organizations after Tunisia’s 2011 revolution.

10/09/15
Press Releases

Magistrates Discuss Dual Jurisdiction of Military and Civilian Courts over International Crimes in DRC

In cooperation with the High Judicial Council, ICTJ held a seminar today with senior representatives of the Congolese military and civilian judiciary and prosecutor’s office to discuss the dual jurisdiction of military and civilian courts over international crimes in the DRC.

10/09/15
Press Releases

ICTJ Paper Highlights Progress and Challenges So Far in Tunisia’s Transition

Tunisia continues to take steps to fulfill its commitments under its ground-breaking Transitional Justice Law and realize the goals of the 2011 revolution. But a rocky start to the country’s new truth commission and proposed reconciliation-cum-amnesty legislation could undermine these efforts, according to a new paper by ICTJ.

09/29/15
Press Releases

State Repression and Polarized Politics Thwart Hopes for Justice in Egypt

After toppling Hosni Mubarak’s dictatorship in February 2011, Egyptians were eager for a reckoning with past injustices. But after years of political turmoil, the possibility of a genuine transitional justice process in Egypt is uncertain. We turned to three leading Egyptian activists to examine if there really is a chance for justice and reform in Egypt in the near future.

09/28/15
In Focus

Tunisia in Transition: One Year After the Creation of the Truth and Dignity Commission

This briefing paper details and analyzes the progress made so far in Tunisia to implement its historic Transitional Justice Law, with a particular focus on the Truth and Dignity Commission, created one year ago.

by

Reem El Gantri

Briefing Paper

Tunisia's "Reconciliation Bill" Threatens Gains of the Revolution

In this op-ed, ICTJ's President David Tolbert expresses concern about the new "Reconciliation Bill" proposed by the Tunisian government, which would grant amnesty to corrupt business people and Ben Ali-era officials in the guise of "reconciliation." "Massive corruption and violent human rights violations are mutually reinforcing, and unless this linkage is exposed and broken, it can lead to mutually reinforcing impunity," writes Tolbert.

08/17/15
In Focus

A Reflection on How to Capitalize on Small Gains in Prosecuting International Crimes in DRC

On International Justice Day, the head of ICTJ's Criminal Justice program in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Myriam Raymond-Jetté, reflects on how to build on small successes in prosecuting international crimes in the national courts.

07/17/15
In Focus

The Accountability Landscape in Eastern DRC Analysis of the National Legislative and Judicial Response to International Crimes (2009–2014) - Briefing

This briefing paper summarizes the findings of an ICTJ report (by the same name) on the judicial response to international crimes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It makes substantive recommendations to justice stakeholders in the DRC on how to advance prosecutions of internat...

by

Sofia Candeias, Luc Côté, Elsa Papageorgiou, and Myriam Raymond-Jetté

Briefing Paper

The Accountability Landscape in Eastern DRC

This report analyzes the response of Congolese judicial authorities to international crimes committed in the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2009 to 2014, with a particular focus on the war-torn East (North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri). It finds that the number ...

by

Sofia Candeias, Luc Côté, Elsa Papageorgiou, and Myriam Raymond-Jetté

Report

ICTJ Report Finds Slow Progress in Prosecuting International Crimes in Eastern DRC; Prosecution Strategy Is Needed to Address Large Scale of Violations

A new report by the International Center for Transitional Justice analyzes the Congolese judicial authorities’ response to international crimes committed in the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2009 to 2014, with a particular focus on the war-torn east (North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri). It finds that the number of open investigations into international crimes is very low compared to the large number of atrocities being committed.

07/17/15
Press Releases

At ICTJ Conference, Congolese Magistrates Discuss Strategy for Prosecuting International Crimes

The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) held a seminar for Congolese military and civilian magistrates on June 24 and 25, 2015, to discuss a national strategy for prosecuting international crimes and prioritizing cases to clear the backlog in national courts. The seminar aimed to examine and propose solutions for why so many well-documented crimes committed by armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo remain unaddressed.

06/26/15
Press Releases

As Tunisia Prepares to Hear Nation’s Truth, New Alliances Amplify Women’s Voices

As Tunisia’s Truth and Dignity Commission (TDC) prepares to hear the testimonies of thousands of citizens, ICTJ is assisting women’s groups in ensuring that their voices are heard in the process.

05/21/15
In Focus

A Measure of Dignity: The Beginning of Reparations in Post-Revolution Tunisia

In this analysis piece, director of ICTJ's Reparative Justice program Ruben Carranza talks about the challenges Tunisia is facing in implementing individual and collective reparations measures since the fall of the Ben Ali dictatorship.

05/07/15
In Focus

Lebanon: Decades After the War, Wives of the Disappeared Are Reminders of an Unresolved Past

The wives of the missing and disappeared in Lebanon continue to suffer serious social, psychological, legal and financial effects on their lives, and the lives of their children, says a new report by ICTJ and the Institute for Women’s Studies in the Arab World at Lebanese American University.

04/20/15
Press Releases

Governments Overlook Lasting Impacts of Enforced Disappearance on Women

A major new report from ICTJ canvasses 31 countries to see how the crime of enforced disappearance affects women, as both the disappeared and the female relatives of the disappeared. It finds that across cultures, women face serious barriers to seeking relief due to discriminatory laws and practices.

03/16/15
Press Releases

Living with the Shadows of the Past: The Impact of Disappearance on Wives of the Missing in Lebanon

This report examines the impact on women of enforced disappearances committed during Lebanon’s civil war, focusing in particular on the effects on wives of the missing or disappeared—and their children. The research is based on interviews conducted by ICTJ with 23 wives of missing or ...

by

Christalla Yakinthou

Report

ICTJ Announces Online Debate: Is the International Community Abandoning the Fight Against Impunity?

ICTJ hosts human rights scholar Michael Ignatieff and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein for an online debate whether the international community is abandoning the fight against impunity.

01/30/15
In Focus

Reflections on ICC Jurisprudence Regarding the Democratic Republic of the Congo

This briefing paper analyzes and reflects on the development of the ICC prosecutor’s strategy and application of procedural rules, since operations began at the International Criminal Court more than a decade ago. The mixed results of the court’s first cases, which arise from the situ...

by

Michèle Laborde-Barbanègre and Roxane Cassehgari

Briefing Paper

Case Against Thomas Lubanga

This briefing paper provides an overview of the proceedings against Thomas Lubanga before the International Criminal Court since the start of the prosecutor’s investigation in 2004 until the 2012 decisions of Trial Chamber I concerning the verdict, the sentence, and reparations. It id...

by

Michèle Laborde-Barbanègre, Guy Mushiata, and Meritxell Regue

Briefing Paper

Case Against Callixte Mbarushimana and Sylvestre Mudacumura

This paper provides a description of the brief proceedings against Callixte Mbarushimana and Sylvestre Mudacumura before the International Criminal Court.

by

Michèle Laborde-Barbanègre, Guy Mushiata, and Meritxell Regue

Briefing Paper

Case Against Germain Katanga and Mathieu Ngudjolo

This briefing paper provides an overview of the proceedings against Germain Katanga and Mathieu Ngudjolo before the International Criminal Court. The conviction and sentence against Katanga signifies the first final judgment of the ICC.

by

Michèle Laborde-Barbanègre, Guy Mushiata, and Meritxell Regue

Briefing Paper

ICC’s Intolerance of Impunity Does Not Make It an Enemy of Peace

ICTJ Vice President Paul Seils writes that the ICC cannot endorse impunity measures any more than others committed to the defense of human rights and the struggle for peace and justice.

11/17/14
In Focus

Experts Gather in Kinshasa to Discuss the National Judicial Response to Serious Crimes in the DRC

ICTJ, in cooperation with the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), organized a high-level conference in Kinshasa today to discuss ways to strengthen the Congolese judicial system and its ability to investigate and prosecute serious crimes, such as genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

11/12/14
Press Releases

Confronting the Legacy of Political Violence in Lebanon: An Agenda for Change

Lebanon should take firm steps to provide redress to victims of past conflicts and help prevent future violence, ICTJ and Lebanese rights groups said today at a roundtable discussion in Beirut. Lebanese authorities have mostly failed in their responsibility to end ongoing violations and ensure justice and truth for victims of the 1975-1990 war and successive conflicts.

10/20/14
Press Releases