Latest news with #UNHumanRightsCommittee
Scoop
07-06-2025
- Scoop
From Rape To Lost Childhood: Guatemala Found Responsible For Forcing Girl Survivor Into Unwanted Pregnancy & Motherhood
GENEVA (5 June 2025) – The UN Human Rights Committee has found that Guatemala violated the rights of a girl who became pregnant as a result of rape by forcing her to continue the pregnancy and into motherhood. According to the Committee, this amounted to a breach of her right to live with dignity and reproductive autonomy, and subjected her to treatment comparable to torture. The Committee published today its decision against Guatemala in a case involving a 14-year-old girl who was raped on multiple occasions, denied access to legal abortion, and compelled to assume parental responsibilities under coercive circumstances. 'This is the fourth case the Committee has recently examined on terrible similar situations involving other States in the sub-region,' said Committee member Hélène Tigroudja. 'No girl should be forced to carry the child of her rapist. Doing so robs her of her dignity, her future, and her most basic rights,' she said, adding that 'This is not just a violation of reproductive autonomy — it is a profound act of cruelty.' Fátima* was 14 when she became pregnant after being raped by an ex-director of a public day-care centre that she attended as a child. The rapes occurred after she had left the institution. Her aggressor had maintained contact with the family after Fátima left the institution and earned their trust by providing financial support. When her mother learned about the abuses, she reported them and then was bribed and threatened by the perpetrator, his wife and their family. Despite nine years of criminal proceedings, during which the perpetrator continuously pressured Fátima and her family to drop the case, he escaped justice. Guatemala did not properly investigate the rape, nor did it take effective action to prosecute the perpetrator. Since then, Fátima has been stigmatized as a girl who became sexually active at an early age. As it was impossible to obtain justice and effective remedies in Guatemala, Fátima brought her case to the Committee, claiming her rights under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) were violated. Guatemala is one of the Latin American countries with the highest rates of both forced motherhood and systematic impunity for sexual violence. Although the Guatemalan Criminal Code allows abortion in specific situations to avoid a threat to the life of the mother, access to legal abortion is almost impossible in practice. Despite her very young age and the foreseeable risks of pregnancy and delivery, Fátima was forced to carry out her pregnancy. After a traumatic and almost fatal delivery, Fátima was forced to breastfeed the child despite her expressed wish not to see him or be involved in his care. The sexual violence and forced pregnancy caused Fátima severe suffering, resulting in two suicide attempts as the only way to escape from her future forced motherhood. Nine years later, the child born out of rape is living with Fátima's mother, but she is the one struggling to help cover his food, clothing and schooling expenses. The Committee concluded that the State party had violated her right to life under Article 6 of the ICCPR, recalling that the right to life also refers to the right to enjoy life in dignity and requires States to adopt positive measures towards the full realization of everyone's right to sexual and reproductive health. 'Silence and inaction by the State are not neutral; they are not only violation by omissions but also factors of revictimization. Forcing a child into motherhood through neglect is a grave human rights abuse,' Tigroudja said. The Committee also found that Guatemala had violated Article 7 of the ICCPR, which prohibits torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment as the Covenant refers not only to physical pain but also to moral suffering. 'In addition to the trauma of the rapes, the pregnancy and forced motherhood, she suffered a high level of distress caused by a combination of acts and omissions attributable to the State party', Tigroudja said. The Committee also concluded that it is a case of intersectional discrimination. 'This case reveals how gender, age, and poverty intersect to silence the most vulnerable,' said Tigroudja. The Committee called on the State party to establish a system to record and monitor cases of sexual violence, pregnancy and forced motherhood among girls and adolescents and to work towards its eradication. It also asked the State party to take measures to remedy the damage incurred by the forced pregnancy and forced motherhood on Fátima's life plans, by enabling her to complete higher education and pursue extracurricular areas that will empower her to advance her life goals. Guatemala is also requested to make a public acknowledgement of responsibility and to guarantee access to education and psychological care for her child born out of rape.
The Independent
06-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Mauritius' use of Chagos deal funds sparks outrage
Mauritius is using UK government funds, intended for indigenous resettlement, to pay off its debts, sparking outrage over Sir Keir Starmer 's agreement to hand over the Chagos Archipelago. The UK-Mauritius agreement involves the UK relinquishing sovereignty over the islands and leasing back the US-UK military base on Diego Garcia for £101 million annually for 99 years, with a £40 million 'Future Fund' meant for Chagossian resettlement. The Mauritian budget for 2025/26 indicates that revenue from Chagos will be used for debt repayment for the first three years. Chagossian campaigners have submitted a legal communication to the UN Human Rights Committee, challenging the legitimacy of the UK-Mauritian deal, arguing it was negotiated without their consent and perpetuates historical injustices. They are vowing to continue fighting the agreement, saying the Mauritian government is prioritising debt repayment over Chagossian rights and welfare.
France 24
04-06-2025
- General
- France 24
Four Ivory Coast opposition figures barred from October presidential election
Four prominent opposition figures in Ivory Coast have been excluded from the final voter list and are ineligible to contest the October presidential election, the electoral commission announced Wednesday. Tidjane Thiam, the leader of Ivory Coast's main opposition party, the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI), was struck from the voter roll in April after a court ruling cast doubt on his Ivorian nationality at the time of registration. The Abidjan court based its ruling on article 48 of the nationality code, dating from the 1960s, which states that acquiring another nationality means foregoing Ivorian citizenship. Born in Ivory Coast, Thiam acquired French nationality in 1987 but gave it up in March to stand in the election. Thiam has "appealed to the UN Human Rights Committee," the PDCI said in a statement. 01:37 Former president Laurent Gbagbo, his former right-hand man Charles Blé Goudé and and exiled former prime minister Guillaume Soro have been barred for years over past convictions and were not reinstated. None of the four will be allowed to contest the presidential race or vote. Electoral commission head Ibrahime Kuibiert Coulibaly said Monday the voter list would not be revised before the 25 October election.
Scoop
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Kyrgyzstan: National Leader's Reputation Must Not Override Right To Freedom Of Expression, UN Committee Finds
GENEVA (26 May 2025) - A national leader's reputation must not outweigh the right to freedom of expression, the UN Human Rights Committee has ruled, finding that Kyrgyzstan violated the fundamental freedoms of a lawyer and a journalist who were prosecuted for criticising the then-president and barred from leaving the country. In a recently adopted Decision, the Committee concluded that Kyrgyzstan has violated the rights of Cholpon Djakupova, a lawyer and civil society advocate, and Narynbek Idinov, a journalist. The two were sued by the General Prosecutor for discrediting then-President Atambaev's honour and reputation. The case stemmed from Ms Djakupova's critical remarks about the then-President during a roundtable discussion on freedom of assembly and speech, and from Mr Idinov publishing the speech along with his commentary on a news portal. 'A head of State is not above public scrutiny,' said Committee member Imeru Yigezu, adding that, 'Using the courts to silence criticism undermines the very foundations of democracy.' Before any judgment on the case was issued, a local court imposed an injunction barring the two from leaving the country and ordering the seizure of their personal assets, including Ms Djakupova's house and bank account. These restrictions remained in place throughout the trial, even though they both had not missed a single court hearing. The Committee raised particular concern about the restrictions imposed before a court ruling, describing these actions as a dangerous form of pressure against critical voices. 'The use of travel bans and asset seizures before adjudication raises serious concerns about judicial overreach and creates a chilling effect,' said Yigezu Both Ms Djakulpova and Mr Idinov were found liable for discrediting the then-president's honour and reputation and were ordered to pay 3 million soms each, an amount that, in Mr Idinov's case, equated to his income over 31 years. After exhausting local legal remedies, they brought their case to the Human Rights Committee, claiming their rights to freedom of speech and freedom of movement under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) had been violated. The Committee found that the imposed measures were disproportionate and of punitive nature. 'Ms Djakupova's speech and Mr Idinov's reporting clearly concerned matters of public interest. In such cases, open debate must be protected, and the fact that speech may offend a public figure does not, on its own, justify penalties and a blanket travel ban,' added Yigezu. 'Restrictions on freedom of expression under the ICCPR must be provided by law, pursue a legitimate aim such as protecting national security and public order, and be necessary and proportionate. The measures taken failed to meet all the necessary criteria,' he explained. The Committee stressed that criticism of high-ranking officials, including heads of state, is a core element of democratic oversight and must not be stifled through judicial intimidation. The Committee found that Kyrgyzstan had violated the complainants' rights to freedom of expression and freedom of movement. It called on Kyrgyzstan to provide effective remedies, including full compensation for the two complainants and reimbursement of legal costs. It also urged the State party to revise its legislation to ensure that such violations do not recur.
Scoop
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Guatemala: UN HRC Adopts Landmark Decision On Transgenerational Harm For Mayan Peoples Suffering Forced Displacement
GENEVA (8 May 2025) – The UN Human Rights Committee has found Guatemala internationally responsible for not implementing resettlement agreements and other reparation measures reached with members of the Mayan People for their continuing forced displacement. A total of 269 members of the K'iche', Ixil and Kaqchikel Mayan Indigenous Peoples, who have been forcibly displaced from their communities during the 'scorched earth' operations of the internal armed conflict in the 1980s, turned to the Committee in 2021, claiming their rights under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) were violated. Although the victims had reached a settlement with Guatemala and agreed on a number of reparation measures under the 2011 National Compensation Programme, the programme, which foresaw, in particular, the resettlement and construction of alternative housing, was never implemented. 'Forced displacement is permanent in nature until the victims benefit from a safe and dignified return to their place of habitual residence or are voluntarily resettled elsewhere,' Committee member Hélène Tigroudja said. In its decision, the Committee found that the victims were violently uprooted from their traditional lands and forced to seek refuge in Guatemala's capital city, in violation of their right under Article 12 of the ICCPR. Amid this different cultural setting, they were also forced to conceal and ultimately change their identities in violation of Article 27. 'The uprooting of the victims from their natural environment and lands had a deep, devastating, and lasting impact as they were irremediably stripped of their cultural identity,' Tigroudja said. 'They had to abandon their cultural practices, stop wearing their traditional clothing and stop speaking their language, which also constitutes an irreparable loss for their children and grandchildren,' she added. In a new approach, the Committee considered that the State violated not only the rights of the individuals who were forcibly displaced but also the rights of third-generation children born in displacement after the events, to whom the trauma of displacement was transmitted. 'Indigenous Peoples' rights are, by definition, intergenerational. Transmission is a key condition for the continuity of Indigenous Peoples' existence and cultures,' Tigroudja said. In its decision, the Committee also highlighted that the forced displacement and accompanying violence resulted in the victims having to leave behind the buried bodies of their relatives. Moreover, they were unable to perform funeral rituals for family members who were executed, died or forcibly disappeared during the conflict, in violation of their right under Article 7 not to be subjected to torture and inhumane treatment. 'In Mayan culture, not performing funeral rites is considered a moral transgression which can lead to spiritually caused illnesses that can manifest as physical diseases and can affect the entire lineage,' Tigroudja added. 'These are not only performative ceremonies and rituals but an integral part of the physical, moral and spiritual integrity of members of the communities as well as of the communities as a whole,' she said. The Committee requested Guatemala to search for and hand over the remains of the disappeared family members to the complainants so that they could perform funeral rituals in accordance with their cultures. The Committee also requested Guatemala to build the houses according to the agreed specifications; to provide the victims, their children and grandchildren with the necessary medical, psychological and/or psychiatric treatment; to also provide them with scholarships if they wish so; and to carry out a public act of acknowledgement of international responsibility in which it should apologise for the violations. Guatemala is also requested to translate the decision into the Mayan K'iche', Mayan Ixil and Mayan Kaqchikel languages. The Committee's findings were assisted by Third-Party Interventions submitted by the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, a judge attached to the Special Jurisdiction for Peace of Colombia, and the NGO Indigenous Peoples Rights International.
