News

The legacy of state of emergency in Turkey

May 27, 2020 Dr. Darren S. Dinsmore

The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed our lives and enjoyment of rights. The now-familiar curfews and other restrictions are, in principle, permissible under human rights law (see here and here). Nonetheless, there are many unresolved questions (see here and here) and, for some, the pandemic-emergency is an opportunity to weaken democratic institutions and set permanent […]

Watching history slowly disappear: The development-destruction of Hasankeyf

April 29, 2020 Dr. Darren S. Dinsmore

“Those who opposed (the project) were accused of being political. Even if you’re an environmentalist, a patriot, or animal lover, they labelled you as something else when you said ‘Stop!’ to the project. Now, we’re watching history slowly disappear” (see here) From the Bamiyan statues (see here) to the cities of Palmyra (see here) and […]

UN Condemns Iran’s execution of child offenders

April 22, 2020 Dr. Darren S. Dinsmore

United Nations experts have expressed shock and dismay at Iran’s execution of a second child offender in four days amid concerns that further executions may take place in the coming days. The executions of Majid Esmailzadeh on 18 April 2020 and Shayan Saeedpour on 21 April 2020 once again put Iran in breach of the […]

Osman Kavala re-arrested hours after acquittal

February 21, 2020 Dr. Darren S. Dinsmore

MoJust condemns the callous re-arrest of businessman, philanthropist and human rights defender Osman Kavala on charges related to the attempted coup d’état of 15 July 2016. This action demonstrates a blatant disregard for justice and human rights in the Turkish State’s ongoing campaign against critical voices. On 10 December 2019 the European Court of Human […]

European Court upholds Osman Kavala’s claim of arbitrary detention

December 10, 2019 Dr. Darren S. Dinsmore

Today the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the ongoing detention of Osman Kavala, philanthropist, human rights defender and a defendant in the ‘Gezi Park Case’, violates his right to liberty and security of the person (see here). In a landmark finding, the European Court further declared that his detention pursued an ulterior purpose, […]

Starvation of civilians: A War Crime in Non-International Armed Conflicts

December 6, 2019 Dr. Darren S. Dinsmore

The International Criminal Court (ICC) will from now on be able to prosecute the intentional starvation of civilians in civil wars as a war crime. The ICC Assembly of States Parties took a unanimous decision to this effect earlier today. It strengthens the protection of victims of war. The majority of the over 800 million […]

First Da’esh/ISIS fighter convicted of war crimes in The Netherlands

July 27, 2019 Dr. Darren S. Dinsmore

MoJust welcomes the conviction of Dutch-born Oussama Achraf Akhlafa in the first Da’esh/ISIS war crimes prosecution in the Netherlands. On Tuesday, the court convicted Mr Akhlafa of membership of a terrorist organisation, violating the personal dignity of victims of war in Syria and preparing terrorist attacks, and sentenced him to 7 years and 6 months […]

European Court gives landmark judgment in the case of Selahattin Demirtaş

February 8, 2019 Dr. Darren S. Dinsmore

On 20 November 2018, the European Court of Human Rights released its judgment on the pre-trial detention of Selahattin Demirtaş, the former co-chair of the People’s Democratic Party (Halkların Demokratik Partisi / Partiya Demokratȋk a Gelan, HDP) (see here). The Court’s finding of a violation of Article 18 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) (restrictions […]