14 August 2019
Throughout the month of August 2019 our gender team in Burundi co-organised with our local partner Association Dushirehamwe two trainings for local communities on women’s leadership and their rights. In addition, we organised a workshop on the role of victims in transitional justice processes in South Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
12 August 2019
Several international organisations express their concern over the constant attacks against the independence of the Constitutional Court. They said that the recent complaint presented by the Permanent Commission of the Congress of the Republic against Magistrates Bonerge Mejía, Gloria Porras and Francisco De Matta Vela is unjustified and violates article 167 of the Amparo Law, which states that “Magistrates of this Court cannot be prosecuted for the opinions expressed in the exercise of the position.”
17 July 2019
Impunity Watch and PAX for Peace co-organised a two-day expert meeting on property rights in Syria on 16-17 July in The Hague, bringing together 35 Syrian activists and international experts. Participants extensively discussed the legal obstacles and threats to Housing, Land and Property (HLP) Rights in Syria and brainstormed on the way forward and possible next steps to address the existing challenges.
8 July 2019
In a joint press release issued on 8 July 2019, international organisations urged the Guatemalan Supreme Court of Justice to dismiss the complaint filed against Judge Pablo Xitumul and to reject future unfounded legal actions aimed at discrediting and intimidating judges who fulfilled their duties and challenged existing power structures.
21 June 2019
Victims and survivors of the armed conflict in Guatemala commemorated the National Day Against Enforced Disappearance on 21 June 2019. A Mayan ceremony was led by an Ajq´ij, a spiritual leader, to remember and honour the 45,000 victims who were forcibly disappeared by the State of Guatemala during the internal armed conflict. Following the ceremony, victims and survivors held a press conference during which they demanded justice for the cruel crime committed against their loved ones.
21 June 2019
On 21 June 2019, Guatemalan Judge Claudette Domínguez ruled that there was insufficient evidence to send six former members of the Civil Defence Patrols to trial for sexual violence against 36 Maya Achi women in Rabinal committed between 1981 and 1985 – when State violence against indigenous communities was at its worst. The victims are set to appeal the decision on 26 June.
30 May 2019
On 30 May 2019, international organizations issued a joint press release expressing their profound concern regarding the risks facing the Historic Archive of the National Police (Archivo Histórico de la Policía Nacional, AHPN) in Guatemala, given the recent declarations of the Minister of the Interior, who announced that the terms of the agreement for the administration of the AHPN will be changed and the national and international public’s access to the information will be restricted because it contains information that is “sensitive for State security.”
16 May 2019
Connecting civil society activists and victims at the grassroots level with international policy leaders is an essential component in the fight against impunity and in ensuring more efficient justice processes. This direct engagement paves the way for solid advocacy for victims’ rights and helps policymakers better understand local needs and aspirations. In line with this approach, Impunity Watch hosted a civil society meeting with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms. Michelle Bachelet on 16 May 2019 in The Hague.
23 April 2019
On 22 and 23 April 2019, the hearings of the intermediate stage of the case of sexual violence against 36 Maya-Achi women from the region of Rabinal, Baja Verapaz took place in High-Risk Court “A” in Guatemala City. The accused in this case are six former members of the Civil Defense Patrols (PAC for its initials in Spanish) from the indigenous region of Rabinal.
2 April 2019
Impunity Watch with its partner the Iraqi Al-Amal Association organised a five-day workshop in Beirut from 29 March 2019 to 2 April 2019 entitled: “Engendering Justice in Iraq.” Fifteen Iraqi women activists were trained on new techniques for interviewing, collecting testimonies, and storytelling for survivors of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV). Ultimately, the participants will contribute to producing common narrative of SGBV in Iraq, which will serve as an evidence base for a wide range of stakeholders working on transformative strategies to address impunity for SGBV in the country).
13 March 2019
The Hague, 13 March 2019 – Impunity Watch is deeply concerned about the possible passage of a proposed amendment to the National Reconciliation Law (or “Amnesty Law”) in the Congress of Guatemala today. Impunity Watch urges the international community to take a firm stance in the defence of the rule-of-law and human rights in Guatemala, and to publicly urge the legislature to refrain from approving these amendments.
4 March 2019
Impunity Watch organised a forum on “Truth Commissions in Latin America and International Justice” on 4 March 2019 at the Museum of the University of San Carlos de Guatemala (MUSAC) in Guatemala, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the report “Guatemala: Memory of Silenced” released by the country’s Commission for Historic Clarification (CEH in Spanish).
