Human Rights
Just Security’s expert authors offer in-depth analysis on critical human rights challenges, including those related to armed conflict, emerging technologies, abuses by authoritarian governments, repression of human rights advocates and independent media, human rights litigation, racial justice, gender equality, and more.
3,057 Articles
What is the Remedy for American Torture?
Asst. Sec. of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Tom Malinowski stated to the UN Committee on Torture two weeks ago that: A little more than ten years ago, our government…
The Global Reach of the U.S. Position on Torture
The U.S. government’s public pronouncement that the Convention Against Torture (CAT) applies beyond U.S. borders and in situations of armed conflict—its unequivocal “yes”…
Transcript: The US Appearance Before the UN Committee on the Convention Against Torture
Below is a transcript of all national security issues discussed during the US delegation’s appearance before the UN’s Committee on the Convention Against Torture, prepared…
Obama Administration’s Position on the UN Torture Convention: New? Yes. Significant? Not so much
Could it be that American international law experts and human rights advocates are suffering from some form of Stockholm Syndrome — so many defeats and dashed hopes at the…
America’s “Unequivocal Yes” to the Torture Ban
Last week in Geneva, the U.S. delegation appeared before the Committee Against Torture and announced important changes to the U.S. government’s legal position regarding the…
The United States and the Torture Convention, Part I: Extraterritoriality
[Editor’s Note: Just Security is holding a “mini forum” on the change in the U.S. government’s position on the application of the Convention Against Torture beyond U.S.…
U.S. Changes Position on Torture Convention–Accepts Ban on Cruelty Applies Abroad
At a session before the UN Committee Against Torture in Geneva this morning, the Obama administration made a significant shift away from the Bush-era interpretation of the Convention…
New Paths to Accountability for Crimes in Syria and Iraq (Including ICC Jurisdiction Over Foreign Fighters)
Horrific crimes in Syria during the Syrian Civil War and more recent ones in Iraq have led to widespread frustration at the present lack of a clear accountability mechanism. …
Harold Koh’s New “Memo to the President” on the Torture Convention
President Obama must soon decide whether to instruct a US delegation, which will appear before a UN body in Geneva next week, whether to equivocate, reject, or accept that the…
South Africa Constitutional Court On Universal Jurisdiction: Validating the Obvious
We’ve blogged earlier about the administrative review case proceeding in South Africa that is addressed to the question of whether the South African Police Service (SAPS) and…
UN Human Rights Committee Offers Concluding Observations on Israel
As Ruchi Parekh highlighted earlier this month on Just Security, the United Nations Human Rights Committee has been considering both the fourth periodic report of Israel and the…
Belhaj v. Straw: UK Court of Appeal allows torture claims to proceed
The UK Court of Appeal has handed down its judgment (full text) in the case brought by Abdul-Hakim Belhaj and his wife against the UK’s alleged role in their abduction, rendition…