The International Criminal Court (ICC) has ruled that the trial of Congolese former warlord Thomas Lubanga, who is accused of kidnapping children for use in his private army, will proceed on Jan. 26, 2009. The trial, which had been halted for several months over procedural disputes, will be the first in ICC history. ICTJ has published a fact sheet about the background of the case and the court's work in DRC.
In Colombia, art has become an important way of reflecting on the country’s armed conflict. With ICTJ support, Antioquia Museum, in Medellín, Colombia, is presenting an exhibition called “Destierro y Reparación” (“Displacement and Reparations”), which aims to make explicit, through art, the pain of forced displacement...
ICTJ is pleased to announce the publication of the first issue of the newly redesigned Transitions, ICTJ’s monthly newsletter on transitional justice developments around the world. The new format features an interview with an ICTJ staff member, a World Report round-up of transitional justice-related news, a calendar of events and a brief profile of successes from the more than 25 countries where ICTJ works. Transitions will be a vital resource for all those interested in the establishment of peace, reconciliation and democracy.
ICTJ has submitted supporting documents in a civil suit against two former officials of Brazil’s military regime and the central government. The suit, initiated in May 2008, challenges the validity of a 1979 amnesty granted by the former military regime to perpetrators of politically-motivated crimes...
ICTJ has released a new review of efforts in Afghanistan to address past human rights abuses and to combat impunity. The review focuses on long-running challenges that have hobbled the transitional justice process, in a country where peace and justice are consistently sacrificed to short-term stability and political expediency...
ICTJ, the Center for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation and the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation have issued a statement calling for the summit of the Southern African Development Conference both to press for formation of a new government and to address Zimbabweans urgent needs for food, water, medical treatment, access to education and other basic services. The statement also called for judicial authorities there to rule promptly on the continued detention of leaders of the group Women of Zimbabwe Arise, who were subsequently released on November 5...
ICTJ is launching a series of concise, up-to-date fact sheets on transitional justice issues around the world. The latest of these publications addresses the case of Thomas Lubanga at the International Criminal Court. Lubanga was arrested in 2006 for conscripting children as soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but his trial has yet to begin due to complex procedural issues...
