NEWS FROM THE WORLD
Police brutality in Košice, Slovakia
The Office of Inspection Service (ÚIS) informed about the accusation of a police officer who, while on duty, was alleged to have killed Lubomir, who was detained in a criminal act on 5 November in Košice, Slovakia. During the police intervention, the officer inflicted multiple injuries on Lubomír, who was a homeless person, to which he succumbed in hospital. On Monday, the ÚIS, in cooperation with the Košice forces, detained two police officers from the Košice Police Department on suspicion of abuse of authority of a public official. Afterwards, Ombudsman Róbert Dobrovodský commented on the case. “On the anniversary of the Day of the Struggle for Freedom and Democracy, when society has agreed to limit the arbitrariness of the repressive branches of power, I have to learn about suspicions of police brutality […] it is necessary to ensure that the police obtain video footage of every planned event, in which the use of coercive means is already foreseen in its preparation.” Subsequently, the Ombudsman informed that he had submitted an extraordinary report to Parliament on the activities of the Police Force, in which he wished to highlight the increase in inhuman and degrading treatment of detainees.
35th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution
On 17 November, on its 35th anniversary, we remembered the legacy of the Velvet Revolution. Slogans that are its symbol to this day, such as “We want freedom!” or “We want democracy!” were chanted by students on 16 November 1989 in what was then Peace Square in Bratislava, Slovakia. A day later, a student celebration was held in Prague’s Albert Square on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the The 50th anniversary of the death of Jan Opletal, a student and victim of the Nazi regime. On 18 November, the student body of Prague’s universities went on strike, joined by the artistic community, and activist groups and students in Bratislava mobilised, too. Civic platforms standing against the communist regime, the Public Against Violence (in Slovak: “Verejnosť proti násiliu”) in Bratislava and the Civic Forum (in Czech: “Občanské fórum”) in Prague, were formed. The wider public also joined the strike, and a general strike took place on 27 November at 12:00. Two days later, the Federal Assembly, in an extraordinary session, took out Constitutional Article 4 on the leading role of the Communist Party in the state and society, and on 7 December the Communist Federal Government resigned. Today, it is almost 30 years since we at the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Slovakia have been actively trying to contribute to the protection of human rights, freedom and democracy, based precisely on the values and legacy of November 89.
The Pre-trial chamber of the International criminal court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza
The International Criminal Court (ICC) rejected the State of Israel’s jurisdictional objections and issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The arrest warrant was issued on 21 November for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed between at least 8 October 2023 and at least 20 May 2024, the date on which the prosecution filed its request for the warrant. The ICC ruled that both are criminally responsible for targeted and deliberate attacks against the civilian population in the Palestinian Occupied Territories (OPT). In issuing the arrest warrants, the ICC noted that despite warnings and suggestions from, inter alia, the UN Security Council, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, states or state and civilian actors, there was minimal authorization of humanitarian assistance to the population of the OPT.
UN approves the drafting of a convention that will strengthen the protection of human rights against crimes against humanity
At its 79th session, the Sixth (Legal) Committee of the United Nations approved 16 proposals, of which it gave particular attention to the so-called the United Nations Conference of Plenipotentiaries on Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Humanity. This conference aims to open negotiations on strengthening international instruments for the protection of human rights.
UN research report: Femicides in 2023
On the day the world marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the United Nations Office on Crime and Drugs, together with UN Women, released a research report Femicides in 2023. The report contains statistical estimates from around the world on gender-based killings of women and girls in partner or family relationships. One of the findings is that a significant proportion of homicide victims (22% to 37%) had a history of reporting physical, sexual or psychological violence in a partner relationship. The authors of the publication thus point out that, on the basis of these findings, the competent authorities can take the necessary steps to prevent violence, such as preventing contact with the person perpetrating the violence.
International criminal courts filled an application for an arrest warrant for Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing
Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay.
On 27 November, the Office of the International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim A. A. Khan KC filed an application for an arrest warrant for senior general, acting president and commander of Myanmar’s defence forces Min Aung Hlaing for crimes against humanity. The prosecution believes that Min Aung Hlaing should be held criminally responsible for the deportation and persecution of Myanmar’s Rohingya minority that took place in Myanmar and parts of Bangladesh.
Cover image: Csaba Nagy from Pixabay