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One of the main human rights bodies of the United Nations has just ruled that the transitional justice mechanisms envisaged by the Government of Nepal do not meet international human rights standards, as they do not offer sufficient guarantees to victims of the civil war to realise their rights to justice and truth.     On 12 October 2012 the United...

The Human Rights Committee (HRC) adopted its concluding observations on the second periodic report on the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Despite some progresses, numerous remain the measures to be undertaken, in particular with regard to relatives of missing persons, former camp-detainees and...

On 26 September 2012 TRIAL submitted an individual communication to the United Nations Human Rights Committtee regarding the alleged arbitrary killing and the subsequent removal and concealment of the remains of Mrs. Anda Lale and Mrs. Staka Popovic that occurred in August 1992 in the municipality of Trnovo in Bosnia-Herzegovina. During the devastating internal con...

Geneva, 11 September 2012 The United Nations Human Rights Committee recently condemned Algeria in a case of enforced disappearance. In May 1996, Mr. Kamel Rakik, 33 years old, was arrested at his home, around 30 km from Algiers, by policemen of Algiers’ wilaya. He was brought to the Chateauneuf Police officers school where he was tortured. He has not been seen sinc...

In September 2012, TRIAL, together with six associations of relatives of missing persons, four associations dealing with the subject of rape or other forms of sexual violence during the war, and seven associations or federations of associations of former camp-detainees, submitted a report highlighting the violations of the fundamental rights suffered by the above-ment...

Geneva, 31 July  2012 - The Federal Criminal Court (FCC) released today a landmark decision in the case of Khaled Nezzar, an Algerian former defence Minister denounced by TRIAL for war crimes. The FCC found that Mr. Nezzar cannot claim immunity for acts committed during his tenure, thus paving the way for a trial in Switzerland. The present decision opens up significa...

Despite the positive achievement of the ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (hereinafter: the Convention), the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) have not recognized the crucial competence of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances to receive and consider individual and inter-state commun...

Introduction In August 2008, TRIAL submitted an individual communication to the United Nations Human Rights Committee on behalf of Mrs Taous Djebbar and Mr Saadi Chihoub, acting in the name of their sons, Djamel and Mourad Chihoub. Djamel Chihoub first, then his brother Mourad six months latter, were arrested by members of the Algerian army and are have been repporte...

Geneva / Kathmandu – 21 May 2012 After thirteen years of despair, of denial and of waiting for truth and justice, two families of victims of enforced disappearance during the civil conflict in Nepal bring their case to the United Nations. The perpetrators must be brought to account, says TRIAL - a Geneva-based human rights organisation. Thirteen years ago to thi...

Geneva, 15 February 2012. The United Nations Human Rights Committee recently condemned Algeria in two separate cases of enforced disappearances. In November 1994, Mr. Kamel Djebrouni, 31 years old, was abducted from his home in Algiers by a group of soldiers. He has not been seen since. In May and in November 1996, the brothers Djamel and Mourad Chihoub were arrest...

Geneva, 10 February 2012 Hundreds of perpetrators of serious human rights violations in Nepal remain free. The possibility to hold them accountable for their crimes is inexistent as the main Nepalese parties agree to grant a blanket amnesty for most crimes perpetrated by both State and Maoist forces during the armed conflict that ravaged Nepal between 1996 and 2006....

Sarajevo / Geneva 15 December 2011 In December 2011 TRIAL (Swiss Association against Impunity), seven associations of relatives of missing persons, five associations working on the subject of women victims of rape or other forms of sexual violence during the war and four associations or federations of associations of former concentration camp-detainees submitted a...