International Human Rights

Early history

• 1865 Confederate soldiers executed for executing prisoners

• 1915 Allied Powers charge govt of Turkey with “crimes against humanity”

Geneva Conventions

• A series of 4 conventions beginning in 1860s, and in force since 1949

• Article 3 prohibits mistreatment of prisoners, including torture and “degrading and humiliating treatment”

• Treatment of non-signatories?

1948--Universal Declaration of Human Rights

• personal, social, legal, and political rights

• followed by dozens of other international conventions

After WWII, War Crimes Tribunals established in Tokyo and Nuremburg

• Following orders no defense

• Crimes were attacking countries at peace

Genocide

• 1949 Convention passed GA against “Genocide” after Armenian and Jewish genocides

• Extermination in whole or in part• Preventing reproduction• Transferring children• obligates international action

• 1986 Senate ratifies convention

Genocide

• Cambodia

• Yugoslavia

• Rwanda• and now http://video.on.nytimes.com/ifr_main.jsp?

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• Sudan

• weak UN or international responses

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9e/Rwanda_genocide_wanted_poster_2-20-03.jpg

Also National laws

• American, Belgian, and other national laws allow prosecutions of crimes committed elsewhere

• American law--even non-citizens can sue people who have entered the US for crimes committed elsewhere

International Courts

• In the 90’s, tribunals for war crimes committed in Yugoslavia and Rwanda

• establishing precedent of holding leaders accountable

ICC

• 2002 permanent International Criminal Court established

• US refuses to ratify

Pinochet

• 1998 arrested in England for extradition to Spain

• British court held no immunity for head of state

• Released due to failing health

• Currently under investigation in Chile for murder and fraud

Saddam Hussein

• Is held by American military, but tried by Iraqi special tribunal

Charles Taylor

• Is being tried in special Sierra Leone Court, organized by UN, take place at ICC in Hague

• Serve sentence in Britain (if convicted)

Special case before ICJ (World Court)

• Bosnia suing Serbia

Ending conflicts

• South Africa’s “Truth and Reconciliation Commission”

• Also in many other countries: Argentina, Algeria, Chile, El Salvador, Liberia, East Timor, US, etc

Rights of Women• http://video.on.nytimes.com/ifr_main.jsp?

nsid=a3f1beb18:10c2bb17bbd:27dd&fr_story=c2019d50a4479b0245dddf3b513daa7eba46cd9e&st=1151792575888&mp=FLV&cpf=false&fr=070106_062146_3f1beb18x10c2bb17bbdx2746&rdm=720432.7126377582

• http://select.nytimes.com/packages/khtml/2006/01/22/opinion/20060122_KRISTOF_VIDEO.html