Three Bosnian Serbs were arrested last week accused of crimes against humanity committed in 1992. Veljko Basic, 82, Predrag Bastah, 55, and Goran Viskovic, 54, are being questioned by Bosnian authorities regarding crimes committed in Susica camp in the town of Vlasenica in northeastern Bosnia. Some 8,000 local civilians, mostly Muslims, were held in the […]
The deadline for nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize is this month. Only certain eminent persons may forward names to the selection Committee. Exactly who is nominated is kept secret for 50 years. As 1984 winner of the Prize, Archbishop Desmond Tutu is qualified to nominate others. Along with Drs Leo Rebello and Charles Mercieca, […]
Peter McGregor, Australian pacifist and ‘education radical activist’ for over 40 years, died yesterday. An academic by trade, McGregor was also a convener of the Australian Anti-Apartheid Movement along with Meredith Burgmann. Last year he attempted to arrest senior members of the Australian government on suspicion of war crimes. According to Queensland anti-war activist Ciaron […]
In November 2003, animal rights activist Ralph Hahnheuser stole onto private property on Australia’s south coast and poured shredded ham into the feed troughs of sheep awaiting live export to the Middle East the next day. His stated intention was to "taint the product or the animals in such a way that they are simply […]
The United Nations has sharpened its focus on combating violence against children with the creation last month of a new Special Procedure. This independent world expert will be called Special Representative to the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children. The job of this Special Representative, for an initial term of 3 years, will include maintaining international […]
Women the world over share a one-in-three risk of physical or sexual abuse, with rates reaching 70% in some countries. In Australia, over 400,000 men were violent towards women in 2005. Almost 1.3 million Australian women have experienced physical and sexual violence from a current or former partner. Women are at risk of violence in […]
One hears much about the rule of law and its importance to human rights. But what is it, exactly? I thank Prof. Tim McCormack for bringing this succinct definition to my attention. It comes from a 2004 report by the UN Secretary-General to the Security Council: The “rule of law” . . . refers to […]
Hans Blix was this week awarded the 2007 Sydney Peace Prize "for principled and courageous opposition to proponents of war in Iraq, for life-long advocacy of humanitarian law and nonviolence and for leadership of disarmament programs to rid the world of weapons of terror". The 79-year old Swedish diplomat and international human rights lawyer became […]
The right to vote is universal, but not absolute, according to the UN Committee on Human Rights. The Australian Constitution reflects that understanding, according to a recent decision of the High Court dubbed "the biggest constitutional law case of the year", with a bearing on this month’s federal election. The Australian Constitution says that parliamentarians […]
The United Nations wants to hear about people suited to the top human rights positions known as ‘Special Procedures mandate-holders’. Also called Special Rapporteurs, Special Representatives or Independent Experts, or appointed to Working Groups, these leading experts investigate human rights violations and their causes. There are presently 13 country mandates concerned with the human rights […]
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