LRWC Newsletter: February-March 2013 Edition

Full version (PDF)

IN THIS ISSUE:

LRWC Action News

Bahrain: prominent human rights activist Zainub Al-Khawaja arbitrarily detained.
Cambodia: Mam Sonando released, sentence reduced. LRWC, CLD CJFE call for pardon
Canada: NGOs criticize erosion of Aboriginal rights in Canada.
Colombia: LRWC and LWBC prepare amicus curiae brief for consideration by the IACtHR
Costa Rica: civil and criminal defamation suits against law professor dismissed with costs
Sri Lanka: MPs and NGO representatives threatened with arrest and prosecution for attending HRC
Turkey: Four lawyers released: LRWC and others attend trial, call for release of the 22 still in jail
Vietnam: LRWC and others submit two complaints to UN bodies to secure release of Le Quoc Quan
Zimbabwe: Lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa arrested for objecting to search of her client’s premises

International Human Rights Education

The Accountability Gap: Canadian Mining in Mexico (and Beyond) – at the Vancouver Public Library on April 17, 2013 at 7:00-8:30pm with Emily Dwyer and Mexican lawyer Alejandra Ancheita

February/March: Events held in Vancouver and Toronto

Publications

LRWC: Pre-trial release and the right to be presumed innocent: A Handbook on international law rights to pre-trial release by Lois Leslie – released on March 25, 2013
LRWC Members: Guide to the Law of Protests in British Columbia: ‘Cedar as Sister’: Indigenous Law and the Common Law of Protest by Leo McGrady Q.C. – Released February 2013.

New LRWC Country Monitors:

Bahrain, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe.

 

Awards:

Courage in Law Award

Notable Decisions/Report

Canada: report cites Canadian involvement in U.S. rendition to torture
Macedonia: ECtHR says CIA treatment is torture and Macedonia liable because agents were present.

 

UN Participation

22nd session of the UN Human Rights Council: Gary Anandasangaree and Vani Selvarajah attended in Geneva and made oral interventions
UPR Mexico and China: Joint submissions for October UPR filed by LRWC and others.
UPR Canada: Recommendations made by LRWC and others included in OHCHR Summary.

 

The LRWC Newsletter is available online and we can send a copy to you.