Publications

This paper outlines the recommendations made by the Victims' Rights Working Group, a coalition of civil society groups and experts informally facilitated by REDRESS, to the 12th Session of the Assembly of States Parties that took place in The Hague in November 2013. It calls on States Parties to keep victims’ concerns at the centre of discussions and to refrain from supporting any proposals or amendments which may undermine the Rome Statute and/or condone immunity from prosecutions for alleged perpetrators of ICC crimes.    

In this letter, written ahead of the 15th meeting of the EU Genocide Network, REDRESS and other human rights groups draw attention to a new initiative regarding EU responses to challenges faced by EU practitioners in the effective investigation and prosecution of crimes under international law.

Following the UK Government’s announcement of plans to significantly reduce access to legal aid, REDRESS has submitted comments as part of the Government’s consultation. The comments focus on the particular impact of the cuts on access to justice for victims of torture.

The report explains how regional human rights mechanisms, in particular the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, play a key part in upholding the rights of victims, including the right to reparation. The report finds that while significant progress has been made, more could be done to ensure “a holistic, victim-centered approach on reparation for victims of gross human rights violations in Africa”.    

This report focuses on the use of rape as an instrument of torture and ill-treatment. The past two decades have seen a significant change in the classification of rape - the international community now locate it as a crime of the highest order. States therefore have the responsibility to prevent and respond to it and survivors of rape are entitled to the same level of protection and response as any other victim of violence. The report brings together the developing international human rights law and significant writings on the issue in order to assist those looking to make a link between rape and other forms of ill-treatment.

This report was written as a response to the difficulty of sharing strategies and best practices on the prosecution of torture. As torture law requires domestic avenues to be explored first, it is rare for those working on torture cases in different countries to come together and share their expertise and experience. The report therefore tries to provide tools to enable lawyers and others concerned with such issues to realise victims' rights to reparation. This global report draws on three years of research and builds on comparative research, advocacy and litigation.

Cette communication résume les préoccupations de REDRESS et de SAJ (Synergie pour l’assistance judiciaire aux victimes de violations des droits humains au Nord Kivu) quant aux manquements de la République Démocratique du Congo (RDC) concernant la mise en œuvre de certaines de ces recommandations (numérotées sur la base du Rapport du groupe de travail) dans le domaine de la lutte contre l’impunité, l’accès à la justice et à la réparation pour les victimes de violences sexuelles commises en période de conflit armé, dans le cadre du second cycle de l’examen de la RDC.