Guide to International Human Rights Mechanisms - Brookings

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6. Link between the violation
and human rights work
Why do you think the alleged
violation is a response to the
human rights work of the
victim?
7. Who is submitting this
information? (Confidential)
Give name, contact details and
professional role (if relevant).
International Mechanisms | UN Bodies
Previous incidents
If there have been previous
incidents which are relevant,
please give details.
Submissions may be made by
organizations or individuals.
A year ago [date], another
lawyer representing the same
ethnic group as Aabb Ddee
received a threatening letter
similar to Ms. Ddee’s and was
later [date] killed by unknown
persons.
This letter is submitted by
the National Commission for
Human Rights, with which Aabb
Ddee works.
updates
Please send any updated information you have as soon as possible. It is especially important to know
if there has been any change in the situation of the victim. Updates might be given where: 1) additional
information becomes known (e.g. the identity of the perpetrator of the violation); or 2) new events occur
(e.g. the victim’s release from detention).
[two months later] We learned today [date] that the police investigation was closed yesterday. Two men
have been arrested and detained on charges of sending a threatening letter to Aabb Ddee on [date] and
of following her in their car when she left work the next day. The men are due to appear in court in two
weeks. While pleased with the arrests, Ms. Ddee believes that the person who ordered these acts to be
committed remains at liberty. She has asked that the police investigation be continued.
Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers
Background This Special Rapporteur is concerned with the impartiality and independence of
legal systems including judges, lawyers, prosecutors and court officers, as well as with broader
questions of equal access to justice. He has three major activities: country visits, transmitting letters
concerning violations of rights in this area (including “urgent appeals” for imminent violations and
“allegation letters” where the violation has already occurred), and reporting to the Human Rights
Council (page 49).
What you can Do You can submit communications about issues related to the impartiality,
independence and availability of lawyers and the courts. You can also suggest that the Special
Rapporteur undertake a country visit for extended dialogue with authorities and other parties on
these issues.
evaluation While restriction of the work of judges and lawyers is rarely an issue that especially
concerns IDPs, the issue of access to justice can be quite important. During his visit to Colombia
in 1997, for example, the former Special Rapporteur noted that persons displaced by armed conflict
had particular difficulties in accessing the courts and that their petitions for relief that were filed
were summarily denied. 40 The current holder of this mandate has also indicated his interest in the
broader issue of access to justice.
40 U.N. Doc. E/CN.4/1998/39/Add.2, paras. 29-30.
Guide to International Human Rights Mechanisms
for Internally Displaced Persons and their Advocates 10