Convention Against Torture (CAT)

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Russia’s Forcible Transfers of Ukrainian Civilians: How Civil Society Aids Accountability and Justice

A Ukrainian whose organization received the Nobel Peace Prize writes with an exiled Russian democracy activist and a US legal-rights advocate on the challenge of documenting these…
Exterior shot of prison complex, painted blue and white

Biden Administration Haiti Deportation Policy on Shaky Ground

"[T]he Biden administration should put a hold on removals for all Haitians facing extortion, suffering, and even death if returned to Haiti."
A view of the entrance to the Court of Cassation (Cour de cassation), one of France's courts of last resort having jurisdiction over all matters triable, is pictured on March 21, 2017, on Ils de la Cite, an island in the River Sein in central Paris . (Photo by THOMAS SAMSON / AFP) (Photo credit should read THOMAS SAMSON/AFP via Getty Images)

La France n’est pas un havre de paix pour les auteurs de violations des droits de l’homme, malgré l’avis de la Haute Cour

This article is also available in English here. Traduction fournie par l’auteur Un avis retentissant rendu par la plus haute juridiction française a semé le doute sur…
The main gate at the prison in Guantanamo at the US Guantanamo Naval Base on October 16, 2018, in Guantanamo Base, Cuba. A tower with an American flag is seen behind barbed wire fencing.

Biden Team Gets It Right on Inadmissibility of Torture Evidence in Al-Nashiri Case

In a much anticipated brief, the government categorically rejected the use of statements obtained through torture in military commissions and promised not to admit any statements…
A view of the entrance to the Court of Cassation (Cour de cassation), one of France's courts of last resort having jurisdiction over all matters triable, is pictured on March 21, 2017, on Ils de la Cite, an island in the River Sein in central Paris . (Photo by THOMAS SAMSON / AFP) (Photo credit should read THOMAS SAMSON/AFP via Getty Images)

France Is Not a Safe Haven for Human Rights Abusers – Despite High Court Opinion

The French high court struck a blow against universal jurisdiction recently - but the decision need not doom future cases.
Colombian United Self Defense (AUC) right-wing paramilitary guerrillas stand in rows holding their hands over their hearts during the demobilization ceremony 10 December, 2004 at Camp Two base camp in Tibu, north of Santander, Colombia.

New Ruling Sheds Light on State-Paramilitary Cooperation in Colombia – and on the TVPA

A US court held that Colombian paramilitaries indisputably had a symbiotic relationship with the Colombian state and are therefore liable under the TVPA.
Flanked by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, U.S. President Joe Biden attends a virtual meeting with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on March 1, 2021 in Washington, DC.

How an Internal State Department Memo Exposes “Title 42” Expulsions of Refugees as Violations of Law

Before leaving his post as Senior Legal Advisor to the State Department, Harold Hongju Koh penned a strongly-worded criticism of President Biden’s pandemic border policy and…
A "Camp Justice" sign at Guantanamo Bay. Four poles waive flags behind the sign.

Course Correction Still Needed on Anti-Torture Obligations

The prohibition on torture is absolute. The government’s commitment to upholding it must be too.
Egypt's interim prime minister Hazem Beblawi gives an interview to a journalist from the Agence France-Presse at his office in Cairo on November 24, 2013 as Egypt's interim president approved a controversial law regulating demonstrations. The Egyptian flag stands behind his chair.

Parsing an Immunity Decision at the Heart of U.S.-Egypt Relations  

A suit between a US citizen and the former PM of Egypt raises sticky questions of diplomatic immunity - and tees up a potential constitutional clash between the executive and judiciary.…
The Courtroom of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg with empty chairs. A banner at the front reads, “European Court of Human Rights” and the carpet in front of the bench shows the circle of stars against blue such as is on the European Union flag.

The Méndez Principles: A Focus on the Exclusionary Rule

To eliminate interrogation abuses, consistently bar all information gained via torture or cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment.
A human rights activist, dressed to resemble the now famous Abu Ghraib prison photo depicting an Iraqi prisoner being tortured, stands on a street corner during rush hour in front of the US Department of Justice 22 February 2005 in Washington, DC.

How the Biden Administration Should Take Torture-Derived Evidence Off the Table

In a decent legal system, the government does not ask courts to admit evidence derived from torture, nor does it press other arguments that disregard the absolute prohibition on…
A police personnel wearing a face mask crosses a street on foot as military personnel on motorcycles ride in lines toward him as they take part in a rehearsal for the Independence Day Parade in Colombo on February 3, 2021.

Highlighting Sri Lanka’s Abuses to the UN in Reviews and Strategic Litigation

The Human Rights Council should build on the documentation and advocacy NGOs have done over the years to encourage accountability for gross violations.
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