newsletter No Peace Without Justice, II-2014

The Award aims to support those fighting in Italy and around the world for the protection of human rights, fundamental freedoms, democracy and the rule of law. The Award provides political recognition, and does not have a monetary value. It will be awarded in two categories: one for activities carried out in Italy and one for activities carried out at the international level.

Justice and peace are integral elements of a democratic system and the international community has a responsibility to ensure that the Bahraini authorities do not persist in this “smoke screen” strategy rather than complying with their obligations. This means supporting those political forces inside Bahrain in their nonviolent and tireless quest for democracy, rule of law and respect of fundamental human rights.

The main priorities on which all parties should focus during the Geneva II  negotiations are as follows:  1. adoption of a Declaration of Commitment to the core obligations of International Humanitarian Law and the fundamental principles of humanitarian assistance; 2. agreement on immediate arrangements for the entry of adequate and unfettered humanitarian assistance in all besieged areas to ensure the protection of fundamental rights of all Syrian citizens - regardless of their geographical location, creed and gender; 3. agreement on an immediate full demilitarisation of schools and hospitals to ensure that these primary public are preserved and restored.

Commenting on the communication submitted to the ICC Prosecutor, Alison Smith, Legal Counsel of No Peace Without Justice, said: “The Bangladesh ICC communication clearly demonstrates that for all the criticism that the ICC has been facing over the last year, Article 15.2 remains one of the most important guarantees of the Court’s independence. Whenever a situation develops where crimes under international law are being committed on the territory or by nationals of a State Party, the ICC constitutes the last bastion for redress.” 

Among those who endorsed Marco Pannella's initiative, launched at the end of 2013: Antonio Tajani, Vice-President of the European Commission; Elio Di Rupo, Prime Minister of Belgium; Emma Bonino, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs;  Frank Kargbo, Minister of Justice of Sierra Leone; Marou Amadou, Minister of Justice and Spokesman of the Government of Niger; Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the liberal-democrats at the European Parliament and former Belgian Prime Minister; Louis Michel, Member of the European Parliament and former European Commissioner; Bernard Kouchner, former French Minister of Foreign Affairs;  Sam Rainsy, leader of the Cambodian opposition; Kok Ksor, leader of the Montagnard of Vietnam; Bakhtiar Amin, former Minister for Human Rights of Iraq.

As part of that work, NPWJ organised, in Gaziantep, Turkey, a training course on “Forensic Investigations of Cases of Political Violence and the Disappeared for Syria”, on 11-14 February 2014, together with Assistance Cooperation Unit (ACU), the Violations Documentation Centre in Syria (VDC) and the Kirkayak Art Center, and with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office.  This course is the second implemented by NPWJ on forensics and the disappeared for Syria and was designed in response to specific recommendations which emerged at the first held in November 2013 . Participants included lawyers, medical doctors and representatives of informal associations and NGOs working on investigation and documentation inside Syria, from Aleppo, Damascus and its surrounding country-side and Idlib, as well as defected Syrian police officers based in Turkey .

The series of colloquiums focused on the following topics: possible TJ mechanisms and their application in Libya; humanitarian situation of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in Libya; Transitional Justice and the Constitutional process ; and concluded with a role-play exercise on the role of the youth in the transitional process.