Publications

In this letter, REDRESS and other human rights groups urge the Permanent Representative Member and Observer States to the UN Human Rights Council to ensure that serious and widespread violations of international human rights and humanitarian law in Sudan are adequately addressed by the Human Rights Council during its 24th session that took place in Geneva from 9-27 September 2013.

The Victims’ Rights Working Group (VRWG) authored these comments on the Draft Resolution on Victims and Reparations (resolution) ahead of The Hague Working Group co-facilitation on Victims and affected communities and Trust Fund for Victims, including reparations and intermediaries that took place on 5 September 2013.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has held a public consultation on its Victims Right to Review Interim Guidance. In June the Guidance was published, setting out how a victim can ask for a review of a CPS decision not to prosecute without having to seek a judicial review. As part of the consultation process, REDRESS made submissions concerning victims of international crimes such as genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and torture.

The Sudanese Human Rights Monitor, the Africa Centre for Justice and Peace Studies, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and REDRESS submitted this briefing for consideration by the UN Human Rights Committee in the Committee’s examination of Sudan’s implemention of its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The 109th session of the Committee took place from 14 October to 1 November 2013. The concerns highlighted in this briefing are underpinned by serious ongoing human rights violations in conflict and non-conflict settings in Sudan, a deep-rooted culture of impunity, a weak rule of law and the failure of the Sudanese authorities to fully guarantee the absolute prohibition against torture.

This report examines the challenges of preventing torture in the Middle East and North Africa region, particularly in light of the Arab Spring. These range from structural problems, including weak institutions and lack of respect for the rule of law, to more specific challenges, such as the prevalence of terrorism in the region and political marginalisation of minority groups. It therefore recognises the need for interventions by human rights lawyers and civil society on these issues.

This manual is intended to familiarize those without any litigation experience before the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights with its communication process. The African Commission is the main forum for upholding the rights of victims of human rights violations in Africa.

In its response to the Explanatory Working Paper produced by the Justice Directorate of the European Commission in relation to the implementation of the Directive 2012/29/EU, which establishes minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime, REDRESS sets out some key concerns and recommendations in the context of its expertise in working with victims of crimes under international law.

In this letter, REDRESS draws attention to the incompatibility of a proposed amendment of Sudan's Armed Forces law of 2007 with international human rights obligations binding on Sudan, and urges the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers to urgently raise this matter with the Government of Sudan, with a view to ensuring that any reform undertaken does not include any provisions subjecting civilians to the jurisdiction of military courts.