tag:nouvelles.asfquebec.com,2010://1 2010-08-30T23:01:50Z Avocats sans frontières Movable Type 3.31-fr tag:nouvelles.asfquebec.com,2010://1.335 2010-08-30T19:04:02Z 2010-08-30T23:01:50Z

On August 28, following five intensive days of meetings with officials, victims groups and human rights defenders, the 2nd International Caravan of Jurists left Colombia. The Caravan travelled to Bogota and several regions of the country, and culminated in a...

Philippe Tremblay On August 28, following five intensive days of meetings with officials, victims groups and human rights defenders, the 2nd International Caravan of Jurists left Colombia. The Caravan travelled to Bogota and several regions of the country, and culminated in a national press conference. The Caravan delegates vowed that, from their respective home countries, they would continue to monitor the situation of human rights lawyers in Colombia. They emphasized that they would hold the new government - and notably Vice-President Angelino Garzón with whom they met during their visit – to the promise of upholding the right of human rights defenders to carry out their work on behalf of the thousands of victims of human rights abuses in Colombia. Mr. George Gray, an associate from McCarthy Tétrault’s Toronto office and Ms. Marie-Pierre Grenier, an associate from the firm’s Québec City office, took it upon themselves to put on paper their impressions of what they saw and heard while on the Caravana: "We recently participated in a week-long Lawyers without Borders/Avocats sans Frontières Canada Second International Caravan of Jurists in Colombia. Our mission was to observe the work conditions of Colombian human rights lawyers. We also had the opportunity to meet and listen to human rights defenders, members of indigenous communities, members of the police and armed forces, victims of human rights violations and internally displaced people. It turns out that it was propitious time to visit. We arrived in Bogota with 50 lawyers from around the world on August 19, 2010. Juan Manual Santos, former Defense Minister, had just taken office as President. He has inherited the popularity and so-called Democratic Security policies of his predecessor Alvaro Uribe, along with the government's bleak human rights record and related scandals. George’s post I jumped at the chance to join Lawyers Without Borders Canada in Colombia. I had last visited the country as a tourist, during a post-articling trip through its mountains, beaches and salsa bars. I had great memories of its stunning geographic beauty, its friendly and outgoing people, and its apparent progress from years of violent drug wars. This time, after a briefing on our project, I joined two other caravanistas on a visit to the Cauca region, a rural and mountainous province in the southwest of the country. Our first stop was Popayan, a gorgeous agricultural centre with legally mandated white stucco walls and red-tiled roofs. The peaceful colonial image of Popayan sadly belies the daily horrific violence on its streets. For one-and-a-half days, farmers, lawyers and human rights workers streamed into our hotel to tell us their stories of casual and brutal violence. Each person testified to the complicity of the state and the impunity of the perpetrators. Families of murder and kidnapping victims clearly lack recourse in a society where the military and police share a widespread paranoia that each poverty-stricken farmer or human rights worker is also a leftist guerrilla. An uncomfortable military presence around our hotel underscored the seriousness of the situation, as did reports that police photographed each person entering and leaving our meetings. I woke up the next morning still reeling from the stories I had heard. During a quick walk around the town, I came across 50 refugees in line to register for assignment to a ghetto just outside of town. This group of men, women and children had just arrived, with all their possessions, from the countryside. They are among Colombia’s estimated 4 million displaced people. The next town we visited was smaller, and populated mostly by indigenous people. It was even more steeped in violence. A stream of mMen, women and children patiently waited to tell us their brutal stories of kidnapping, torture and murder, showing their machete, gun and grenade wounds as proof. They felt hopeless: the authorities offered no help, were complicit, or were outright perpetrators. Before embarking on this trip, I had been enthusiastic but somewhat doubtful. What could we as gringo lawyers really accomplish during a week-long visit? I now realize I was underestimating the gravity of the situation in Colombia and the significance of observation by a third party. It has been said that there must be observation before there can be history. The ongoing, serious and widespread violence in Colombia has not entered the realm of its official history because it has not been observed by internationally credible witnesses. While Colombian authorities have been quick to dismiss local human rights advocates as guerrilla sympathizers, it is more difficult to do so with visiting lawyers. We will summarize our observations in a report that we hope will provide a reach and an impact beyond what the stigmatized local lawyers can accomplish. This trip has made the importance of our profession real to me. I’ve always known on some level that lawyers play an important role in society. Now that I have seen the tragedy and hopelessness of society with a legal system as broken as Colombia’s, I have a new appreciation for the significance and responsibility of our jobs. It was a privilege to be able to help the practice and accessibility of law in a society that lacks both – a privilege I hope to experience again in the future. Marie-Pierre’s post I’d been to Colombia before, as a tourist and as an intern for the Canadian Bar Association. I was eager to return to a country that has a bad reputation but, more importantly, a vibrant culture, fabulously welcoming people and the sound of music everywhere. After diligently reviewing the Spanish vocabulary list we were given of words such as presos politicos (political prisoners), chuzadas (wiretapping), and señalamientos (baseless accusations), I anticipated an engaging and meaningful trip. The city Cucuta, capital of the Norte de Santander department, has little to offer the usual tourist. It’s dusty, terribly hot and poor. The region borders Venezuela and is home to important natural resources such as coal and fertile lands. Sadly, it is plagued with violence, drug and other trafficking, profound social divisions and civil strife that has left tens of thousands dead. The conflict raging in the surrounding countryside has forced displaced farmers to flock to the so-called cinturón de miseria (misery belt) at Cucuta’s outskirts. Along with nine caravanistas, I spent my first four days meeting with victims and associations for the defense of peasant farmers and victim. These included the Association of Peasant Farmers of Catatumbo and the National Movement for the Victims of Crimes committed by the State. We listened to displaced farmers, family members of desaparecidos (victims of forced disappearance) and members of the civil society who had suffered violent acts perpetrated by members of the Armed Forces, demobilized paramilitaries and other armed groups. We also heard from lawyers living under constant threat. They explained that confusion between a lawyer and the client he defends is common in Colombia. Lawyers often pay with their lives for their involvement in a case. We then embarked on meetings with judges, personeros (local ombudsmen for small municipalities) and Armed Forces representatives. We observed that government representatives and members of the civil society seem to live in two different worlds. On the one hand, government representatives and members of the armed forces blame human rights violations and the global security situation on the guerrilla, narcos and other "illegal armed groups;" they, and are somewhat reluctant to acknowledge the presence of paramilitaries, which have been officially have officially demobilized. On the other hand, members of the civil society complain of being harassed by demobilized paramilitary groups and denied justice by state officials. To compound their challenges, the legal system’s complete lack of resources results in due process shortcomings, insufficient protection of witnesses and victims, insufficient capacity to deal with a huge caseload and an apparently all-encompassing impunity for crimes committed by the State and armed groups. We then took our observations to the capital: we had a very interesting meeting in with the Bogota with office of the Vice-President of Colombia, Angelino Garzón. It certainly reminded me that the young lawyer I am still has a lot to learn about the politics of human rights advocacy. Once we return to Canada, we will put our recommendations into a group report. We hope they will remind our politicians, fellow lawyers and business people that gross human rights violations still affect the daily lives of many Colombians". tag:nouvelles.asfquebec.com,2010://1.334 2010-08-17T23:22:23Z 2010-08-17T23:30:45Z

Next Monday, August 23, 2010, will be the first-day of the Second International Caravan of Lawyers in Colombia, an initiative jointly organized by Lawyers Without Borders Canada, the UK Caravana Lawyers Group and the Colombian Association of Human Rights Defence...

Emily Dwyer http://asfcanada.ca/ Next Monday, August 23, 2010, will be the first-day of the Second International Caravan of Lawyers in Colombia, an initiative jointly organized by Lawyers Without Borders Canada, the UK Caravana Lawyers Group and the Colombian Association of Human Rights Defence Lawyers (ACADEUM). Over the course of the week-long delegation to Colombia, which will see approximately 60 lawyers from around the world travel to Colombia to assess the state of access to justice and the practice of the legal profession in this Country, delegates will meet with human rights lawyers, victims groups, displaced peoples, and military and civil authorities at the national and regional level. Caravanistas return to their home towns of Québec, Montréal, Toronto, Ottawa-Gatineau and Edmonton. ]]> tag:nouvelles.asfquebec.com,2010://1.333 2010-08-16T02:29:52Z 2010-08-16T02:31:10Z

Télécharger le fichier...

Emily Dwyer http://asfcanada.ca/ Télécharger le fichier ]]> tag:nouvelles.asfquebec.com,2010://1.332 2010-08-06T05:37:48Z 2010-08-16T02:31:55Z

Télécharger le fichier...

Emily Dwyer http://asfcanada.ca/ Télécharger le fichier ]]> Télécharger le fichier English: Télécharger le fichier ]]> tag:nouvelles.asfquebec.com,2010://1.331 2010-08-06T05:29:35Z 2010-08-06T05:33:24Z

*English summary of the Urgent Action issued by Colombian Lawyers` Association, ACADEUM The Association of Colombian Defence Lawyers Eduardo Umaña Mendoza, ACADEUM, an organization uniting human rights defense lawyers from across Colombia, expresses its rejection of the harassment and threats...

Emily Dwyer http://asfcanada.ca/ *English summary of the Urgent Action issued by Colombian Lawyers` Association, ACADEUM The Association of Colombian Defence Lawyers Eduardo Umaña Mendoza, ACADEUM, an organization uniting human rights defense lawyers from across Colombia, expresses its rejection of the harassment and threats that have been levied against the following human rights defenders in the department of Quindío, Colombia: Angélica Ramírez, Jorge Hernán Palacio, Mauricio Cubides, Guillermo Castaño, Alfonso Caicedo, Carlos Quintana, Cesar Arias, Alirio García, Sandra Restrepo, Alfonso Caicedo, Fernando Marín and other colleagues. Note that several of those named are involved in the organization of the II International Caravan of Lawyers in Colombia. On the night of July 28, 2010 a threat was circulated against human rights defenders in Quindi, referring to them as «terrorists at the service of the insurgency». The text of the threat, which was signed by the “AGUILAS NEGRAS of EJE CAFETERO” is included below in Spanish. The Urgent action highlights the following considerations: This threat comes to public light at the same time as the organization of the II International Caravan of Lawyers in Colombia, which will be taking place later this month. The Eje Cafetero is one of the regions which the Caravana will be visiting. Several of those named in this threat are members of the Regional Coordinating committee for the Caravan. This kind of violation of civil and political rights is not an isolated act. Rather, it is part of a systematic policy to put an end to the exercise of the defence of human rights; a policy which has been growing with the implementation of the Uribe government’s Democratic security policy. Acción Urgente: Inminente situación de riesgo para los defensores de los derechos humanos del Quindío a manos del grupo paramilitar “Águilas Negras”. La Asociación Colombiana de Abogados Defensores Eduardo Umaña Mendoza, ACADEUM, organización que agrupa abogados defensores de derechos humanos, rechaza los hostigamientos y las amenazas que han sido promulgadas en contra de Los Defensores de Derechos Humanos del departamento de Quindío: Angélica Ramírez, Jorge Hernán Palacio, Mauricio Cubides, Guillermo Castaño, Alfonso Caicedo, Carlos Quintana, Cesar Arias, Alirio García, Sandra Restrepo, Alfonso Caicedo, Fernando Marín y demás compañeros. HECHOS: 1. El día 28 de julio de 2010, en horas de la noche, fue distribuida una amenaza firmada por las “AGUILAS NEGRAS EJE CAFETERO”, en la que hacen un “llamado a perseguir y dar de baja a los defensores de derechos humanos del Quindío”, señalándolos como “terroristas que están al servicio de la insurgencia”. Para mayor conocimiento, transcribimos el texto completo de la amenaza: “LES MANDAMOS UN REGALITO Y RECOJAN AL PRIMERO QUE CAIGA AGUILASNEGRAS EJECAFETERO El Quindío ha venido siendo una tierra de tranquilidad para los quindianos de bien, para los quindianos que creen en la inversión y en el progreso, para os quindianos que creen en la seguridad como elemento fundamental para la convivencia, pero algunos que se hacen llamar defensores de derechos humanos se han venido oponiendo al progreso y a la seguridad alterando el orden establecido y convenciendo con mentiras a la población para que se rebelen contra lo que ellos estos hp antidemocracia. Por eso nuestro llamado es a perseguirlos y darles de baja para que no sigan atentando contra el orden y la paz elemento central de los quindianos. Se hacen llamar defensores de derechos humanos como si la policía o el ejército no cumpliesen con esa función constitucional de respetar al ciudadano. Consideramos y así lo hemos resuelto que tenemos la ubicación de cada uno de estos terroristas al servicio de la insurgencia que tanto dolor le ha causado al pueblo colombiano. Personas como angélica Ramírez, Jorge Hernán palacio, Mauricio cubides, Guillermo castaño, Alfonso Caicedo, Carlos quintana, cesar arias, Alirio García, Sandra Restrepo, Alfonso Caicedo, Fernando Marín, entre otros mas no son nada mas que personas al servicio de la guerrilla por lo cual les advertimos que los perseguiremos y les daremos de baja cueste lo que cueste pero no podemos dejar que sigan atentando contra la tranquilidad de los buenos quindianos. MUERTE A LOS DEFENSORES DERECHOS HUMANOS QUE ESTAN AL SERVICIO DE LA INSURGENCIA” CONSIDERACIONES Esta amenaza sale a la luz pública paralelamente a la organización de la II Caravana Internacional de Juristas a realizarse en el mes de agosto del cursante, en la que se tiene prevista una visita al Eje Cafetero, en donde varios de los defensores de derechos señalados en esta amenaza hacen parte del equipo coordinador. Este tipo de situaciones violatorias a los derechos civiles y políticos, no obedecen a hechos aislados, constituyen una política sistemática de exterminio al ejercicio de la defensa de los derechos humanos que se ha incrementado en el desarrollo de la política de seguridad democrática, impulsada por el gobierno saliente. SOLICITUDES: 1. Al Ministerio del Interior y Justicia adoptar las medidas necesarias para garantizar la vida e integridad física de los defensores de los derechos humanos que aparecen en la mencionada amenaza de las águilas negras. 2. Al Gobernador de Quindío a manifestarse a través de un comunicado público que debe divulgarse por los medios de información a apoyar y a respetar la labor legítima de los defensores de los derechos humanos en el eje cafetero. 3. A la fiscalía General de la Nación iniciar las investigaciones penales correspondientes y sancionar a los responsables de este tipo de amenazas. 4. Exigimos al gobierno departamental y nacional, a los organismos de control y en general a todas las autoridades encargadas de velar por la vida e integridad personal, que implementen, no solamente los mecanismos orientados a garantizar la seguridad e integridad de los Defensores de Derechos Humanos del Departamento de Quindío, sino también las investigaciones pertinentes para que los hechos denunciados no caigan bajo el manto de la impunidad. Hacemos un llamado a la OPINIÓN PÚBLICA NACIONAL E INTERNACIONAL para que estén alertas y vigilantes frente a la eventual agresión o ataque contra cualquiera de los defensores de derechos humanos amenazados y enviar sus pronunciamientos de respaldo a esta acción urgente a las siguientes autoridades con copia acadeum@acadeum.org: Presidente de la República de Colombia Alavaro Uribe Vélez Carrera 8 No. 7 -26 Palacio de Nariño Bogotá Fax. 5662071 E-mail: auribe@presidencia.gov.co Director Programa Presidencial de DDHH y DIH Carlos Franco E-mail: cefranco@presidencia.gov.co. Asesor: Fernando Ibarra E-mail: fibarra@presidencia.gov.co Ministro del Interior y Justicia Fabio Valencia Cossio Telefax: (+571) 4443100 E-mail: reclamos@mij.gov.co, ministro@minjusticia.gov.co Viceministra del Interior Viviana Manrique Zuluaga E-mail: viceinterior@mij.gov.co Teléfono: (+571) 5601195 - 5603383 Carrera 9 No. 14-10, Piso 8, Bogotá. Defensor Nacional del Pueblo Volmar Antonio Pérez Ortiz Calle 55 # 10-32, Bogotá. Fax: (+571) 640.04.91 E-mail: secretaria_privada@hotmail.com; agenda@agenda.gov.co Procurador General de la Nación Alejandro Ordoñez Maldonado Carrera 5 #. 15-80, Bogotá. Fax: +57.1.342.97.23; +571.284.79.49. Fax: +57.1.342.97.23; E-mail: cap@procuraduria.gov.co, quejas@procuraduria.gov.co BOGOTÁ, JULIO 30 DE 2010 tag:nouvelles.asfquebec.com,2010://1.330 2010-08-06T04:41:58Z 2010-08-06T04:59:10Z

Julie Dubé Gagnon est juriste et coopérante volontaire ASFC au Guatemala depuis le 28 juin 2010. Elle appui le projet de renforcement de la représentation légale en matière de litige stratégique de droits humains au Guatemala, au sein du Bufete...

Emily Dwyer http://asfcanada.ca/ Julie Dubé Gagnon est juriste et coopérante volontaire ASFC au Guatemala depuis le 28 juin 2010. Elle appui le projet de renforcement de la représentation légale en matière de litige stratégique de droits humains au Guatemala, au sein du Bufete juridico de derechos humanos de Guatemala, de l’avocat Edgar Perez, représentant les victimes de violations graves de droits de la personne. Le 26 juillet 2010, dans le cadre du cas emblématique de las Dos Erres, la juge de première instance pénale de la section des risques majeurs de la capitale du Guatemala ordonne la détention provisoire de l’accusé Carlos Antonio Carias Lopez, ex-kaibil de l’armée. Le procès sur le fond doit avoir lieu à la mi-septembre. Cette ordonnance de détention provisoire fait suite à la sentence de 2009 de la Cour interaméricaine des droits de l’homme qui retient la responsabilité de l’État guatémaltèque pour le massacre de 217 personnes orchestré par l’armée en 1982, dans la municipalité de las Dos Erres, au Petén. L’armée aurait anéanti le village afin de passer ce message de terreur aux autres communautés sympathisantes à la guérilla. L’État en est donc à l’exécution nationale de la sentence interaméricaine puisqu’il est obligé, en vertu du droit interaméricain, d’enquêter et de sanctionner les auteurs intellectuels et matériels du massacre de las Dos Erres. Carias Lopez est l’un des quatre accusés à ce jour. Carias Lopez était depuis mars 2010 et jusqu’au 26 juillet dernier, accusé de vol et de crimes contre l’humanité. Mais lundi, la juge a amendé l’acte d’accusation afin d’y ajouter un délit, soit l’assassinat de 217 personnes. En effet, l’accusé, commandant de la base militaire Las Cruces, aurait ordonné à ses 300 patrouilles civiles et soldats sous son contrôle d’assassiner les paysans de las Dos Erres, mais aussi de piller les biens des habitants, et de détruire toutes les preuves pouvant les associer aux crimes. Les soldats et les patrouilles civiles ont de plus réuni leurs efforts afin de menacer les habitants survivants afin éviter les dénonciations et ainsi garantir leur impunité. Cette détention provisoire et l’amendement de l’acte d’accusation est une victoire pour les familles des victimes. Le fait d’ajouter l’assassinat en tant que chef d’accusation garantit la possibilité de voir l’accusé incarcéré pour 30 ans. Les autres délits permettaient la libération au paiement d’une simple pénalité. De plus, maintenant accusé d’assassinats, les juges peuvent décider proprio motu, de déclarer l’accusé coupable de génocide. tag:nouvelles.asfquebec.com,2010://1.329 2010-07-23T01:01:31Z 2010-07-23T01:03:17Z

Avocats sans frontières Canada (ASFC) est heureux d’annoncer la nomination de madame Melinda Madueno au poste de Chef de mission en Haïti. Juriste et gestionnaire aguerrie, Mme Madueno arrive à ce poste riche d’une expérience d’une dizaine d’années en matière...

Pascal Paradis Avocats sans frontières Canada (ASFC) est heureux d’annoncer la nomination de madame Melinda Madueno au poste de Chef de mission en Haïti. Juriste et gestionnaire aguerrie, Mme Madueno arrive à ce poste riche d’une expérience d’une dizaine d’années en matière de droits humains, de droit international et d’accès à la justice. Madame Madueno apporte à ASFC et à son projet en Haïti une double formation en droit. Détentrice d’une licence et d’une maîtrise en droit privé de l’Université de Poitiers en France, elle a également obtenu un baccalauréat en droit de l’Université de Montréal et une maîtrise en droit international de l’Université du Québec à Montréal. Son parcours professionnel l’a notamment amenée au Programme des nations unies pour le développement (PNUD) au Ghana, où elle a œuvré de 2007 à 2009 à titre de responsable des programmes de droits humains et plus spécifiquement des projets relatifs à l’accès à la justice, et au Haut Commissariat pour les réfugiés à Bruxelles où en 2005-2006 elle s’est particulièrement intéressée aux politiques de l’Union européenne concernant les Caraïbes. Mme Madueno est également très proche des préoccupations de la société civile, ayant travaillé de 2003 à 2005 au Centre international de ressources juridiques, une ONG basée à Montréal. Elle y a contribué aux objectifs de promotion de la justice internationale, ayant notamment participé à l’élaboration d’un mémoire sur la situation des droits humains en Haïti. Elle a également agi comme bénévole à Amnistie internationale et dans diverses activités organisées par la Croix rouge auprès des jeunes, sur les conflits armés et les mines antipersonnel. Melinda Madueno s’est jointe à ASFC dès le lendemain du séisme du 12 janvier 2010 et a déjà participé à deux missions en Haïti depuis cette date. Elle arrivera ce 22 juillet à Port-au-Prince où elle s’installera de façon permanente pour ouvrir le bureau d’Avocats sans frontières Canada et procéder au démarrage et à la mise en œuvre du projet « Justice de première ligne d’urgence et de transition » dont le financement est assuré par le Ministère des affaires étrangères du Canada, par le Barreau du Québec et par des contributions du public canadien. tag:nouvelles.asfquebec.com,2010://1.328 2010-07-19T16:54:56Z 2010-07-23T01:01:16Z

Le 15 juillet a eu lieu le lancement officiel, à Londres en Grande-Bretagne, du rapport du Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales portant sur la protection des défenseurs des droits humains et la lutte contre l'impunité dans les...

Philippe Tremblay Le 15 juillet a eu lieu le lancement officiel, à Londres en Grande-Bretagne, du rapport du Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales portant sur la protection des défenseurs des droits humains et la lutte contre l'impunité dans les États de Guerrero et Oaxaca, dans le sud du Mexique. Ce rapport, qui s'intéresse principalement aux défis auxquels font face les communautés autochtones de ces régions en matière d'accès à la justice, donne suite à la mission d'observation menée au Mexique du 28 novembre au 5 décembre 2009, à laquelle a participé Avocats sans frontières Canada. Le rapport est disponible sous: http://nouvelles.asfquebec.com/BHRC%20Mexico%20report%20-%20final%20%2815%20July%202010%29.pdf tag:nouvelles.asfquebec.com,2010://1.327 2010-07-08T17:21:20Z 2010-07-08T17:22:48Z

La tensión entre la ley internacional y la ley nacional parece ser un factor clave en Guatemala al enfrentar la impunidad de los altos funcionarios que cometieron algunos de los crímenes más atroces bajo auspicios de la lucha contra los...

Emily Dwyer http://asfcanada.ca/ La tensión entre la ley internacional y la ley nacional parece ser un factor clave en Guatemala al enfrentar la impunidad de los altos funcionarios que cometieron algunos de los crímenes más atroces bajo auspicios de la lucha contra los insurgentes. Esta tensión es evidente en el caso de Las Dos Erres. El miércoles pasado, el 16 de junio, una audiencia fue programada en la Corte de Constitucionalidad de Guatemala para presentar las discusiones para y contra aplicar la resolución de la Corte Interamericana. Esta decisión de la Corte Interamericana pronuncio que los recursos, conocidas como amparos, usados para atascar el caso y que fueron basadas en una posible amnistía para los funcionarios militares según la ley de reconciliación nacional del gobierno Guatemalteco de 1996, no podrían ser considerados debido a la falta del acceso a la justicia que habían creado. Sin embargo, las discusiones no fueron oídas en la Corte de Constitucional de Guatemala porque el partido que invocó los amparos- la defensa para algunos de los funcionarios militares alegados de ser los responsables de la masacre-no vino a la audiencia. Hay una cierta especulación que la destitución del Fiscal General de la República, y jefe del Ministerio Publico, Conrado Reyes, pudo haber afectado a muchos de los casos de los derechos humanos que se esperaba que fueran soportados indefinidamente como consecuencia directa de su cita. Con esa posición abierta la defensa puede comprar otra vez simplemente cortos períodos de tiempo hasta que puede haber una cierta certeza de quién será el siguiente Fiscal General de la República. Así, cuando viene a los amparos aparentemente sin fin, se queda la pregunta: ¿cual sistema de justicia-el nacional o el internacional- seria percibido como el más prepotente? Sin embargo, la convicción de ésas acusadas todavía está claramente dentro de límites nacionales y dependerá grandemente de la interpretación local de la evidencia presentada, si el nuevo Fiscal General de la República es más abierto a condenar a criminales de los derechos humanos que, según se dice, Reyes lo era. tag:nouvelles.asfquebec.com,2010://1.326 2010-07-08T16:06:26Z 2010-07-08T16:30:37Z

The tension between international and national law appears to be a key factor in Guatemala. This is particularly the case when confronting impunity for the high ranking officials who committed some of the most heinous crimes under the auspices of...

Emily Dwyer http://asfcanada.ca/ The tension between international and national law appears to be a key factor in Guatemala. This is particularly the case when confronting impunity for the high ranking officials who committed some of the most heinous crimes under the auspices of fighting insurgency groups. This tension is evident in the case of Dos Erres. A hearing in Guatemala’s Constitutional Court had been scheduled for Wednesday, June 16th, 2010. At that hearing, arguments for and against the application in Guatemala of the January 2010 Inter-American Court decision were to be heard. The Inter-American Court decision had found that the amparos (a particular form of injunction or appeal for legal protection that exists in Guatemalan law and does not have a Canadian equivalent) that had been used to stall the case, and which were based on possible amnesties awarded to military officials by the Guatemalan government´s National Reconciliation Law of 1996, could not be considered because to do so would not comply with the principle of access to justice. However, arguments were not heard at the Constitutional Court of Guatemala because the party that invoked the amparos, the defense for some of the military officials allegedly responsible for the massacre in question, did not appear at the hearing. There is some speculation that the recent dismissal of the Attorney General, Conrad Reyes, may have affected many of the human rights cases in Guatemala that, as a direct consequence of Reyes’ appointment, were expected to be held up indefinitely. With Reyes’ position open again, some argue that the defense may be simply buying short periods of time until there can be some certainty about who will be the next Attorney General. Thus, when it comes to the seemingly endless amparos the question remains: Which legal system-national or international- will prove to be the most convincing? However, the conviction of those accused is still clearly within national boundaries and will depend greatly on the local interpretation of the evidence presented, assuming the new Attorney General is more open to convicting human rights criminals than Reyes was said to be. tag:nouvelles.asfquebec.com,2010://1.325 2010-06-23T16:31:52Z 2010-06-23T16:42:49Z

From hope to despair to hope, that has been the political reality for the last week. Just a few weeks into his recent appointment as Attorney General and organizations from civil society, along with many prominent human rights activists, such...

Emily Dwyer http://asfcanada.ca/ From hope to despair to hope, that has been the political reality for the last week. Just a few weeks into his recent appointment as Attorney General and organizations from civil society, along with many prominent human rights activists, such as 1992 Nobel Peace Prize Loreate Rigoberto Menchu, were demanding the resignation of Conrad Reyes. On Friday, June 11, 2010, the Guatemalan Constitutional Court announced that the selection process to nominate the Attorney General, which occurred roughly three months ago, was unconstitutional. The Court found the selection process was flawed when the election committee submitted the same list of candidates after having been told to revise the list. As a result of the Constitutional Court’s decision, Conrad Reyes has been ordered to step down in what is now certain to be the record short post for a country known for early terminations of Attorney Generals. In the interim, Maria Mejia, who has fifteen years of experience with the public prosecutor´s office but little known experience in human rights work, will be acting as the Attorney General. Reyes had been under fire for alleged corruption and involvement with illicit activity, as well as being criticized for his appointments within the Attorney General’s office and for resignations from prominent posts in Guatemala that have occurred as a result of his nomination. The resignation of Carlos Castresana, the Spanish PhD in Law who for the last three years headed the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG in Spanish), is the most famous of the recent departures. This resignation has undoubtedly been the one that most heavily impacted the events of this last week. According to a report in the Prensa Libre, a daily newspaper in Guatemala, in a press conference Monday, June 8th, Castresana claimed that Reyes had tried to devise a method of monitoring the work of the CICIG, and that such monitoring would have threatened the work of the CICIG . Another news article reported Castresana’s claims that Reyes represented interests linked to parallel structures of organized crime. The impact of these events have not gone unnoticed by those working for civil rights, and the atmosphere has been tense. An extra degree of fear for one´s own safety and for the important cases currently going through the legal system has caused more than a few extra stress lines. Regardless, work has not been paralyzed and those pushing to end the continued impunity of those responsible for human rights abuses have persevered. Over the course of this last week there has been a clear change of political climate. Within one week I have witnessed the impact that the Attorney General can have on the human rights of the nation. As a result of the Constitutional Court’s decision, the appointment process will begin once again. This, in turn, will create a degree of uncertainty in the interim. However, it is evident that, for many, a short term degree of uncertainty is preferable to the long term appointment of Reyes. tag:nouvelles.asfquebec.com,2010://1.324 2010-06-23T16:22:09Z 2010-06-23T16:23:43Z

Au terme de la conférence internationale sur la coopération avec Haïti en matière de justice tenue à Paris le 15 juin 2010, ASF Canada a continué son bref périple européen de quatre jours au bureau d’ASF à Bruxelles....

Pascal Paradis Au terme de la conférence internationale sur la coopération avec Haïti en matière de justice tenue à Paris le 15 juin 2010, ASF Canada a continué son bref périple européen de quatre jours au bureau d’ASF à Bruxelles. Le mercredi 16, l’équipe d’ASF Canada, composée du Directeur général et de la Chargée de programme Haïti, a travaillé avec l’équipe du siège à Bruxelles de même qu’avec les chefs de mission d’ASF en République démocratique du Congo, au Rwanda et en Ouganda sur deux thèmes principaux, soit le rôle du plaidoyer dans l’action d’ASF et les stratégies de déploiement des coopérants volontaires dans les projets internationaux. En soirée, le travail s’est continué avec une réunion qui a permis de démarrer la participation du bureau d’ASF à Bruxelles au projet d’ASF Canada en Haïti. Ce projet vise notamment à appuyer la mise en place de service d’aide juridique, de médiation et de justice itinérante en faveur des victimes du tremblement de terre et des groupes vulnérables. Le bureau d’ASF à Bruxelles apporte à ce projet ses 18 ans de travail dans le domaine de la justice itinérante et de l’aide juridique dans des situations post-conflictuelles, notamment dans la région des Grands lacs africains et au Timor oriental. Le lendemain 17 juin, ASF Canada a profité de sa présence à Bruxelles pour assister à l’intéressante assemblée annuelle d’ASF. Pour plus d’information à cet égard tag:nouvelles.asfquebec.com,2010://1.323 2010-06-23T16:19:51Z 2010-06-23T16:21:28Z

ASF a participé, à titre d’organisation invitée, à la conférence internationale convoquée le 15 juin 2010 à Paris par l’International Legal Assistance Consortium (ILAC) et l’Union internationale des avocats (UIA) pour les organisations membres d’ILAC intéressées à la coopération avec...

Pascal Paradis ASF a participé, à titre d’organisation invitée, à la conférence internationale convoquée le 15 juin 2010 à Paris par l’International Legal Assistance Consortium (ILAC) et l’Union internationale des avocats (UIA) pour les organisations membres d’ILAC intéressées à la coopération avec Haïti en matière de justice. Y étaient présents des acteurs de la justice en Haïti tels que le Ministère de la Justice et de la Sécurité Publique, les Bureaux d’aide légale et la Section Justice de la mission de l’ONU en Haïti (MINUSTAH), de même que des organisations telles que l’International Bar Association, l’International Association of Court Administrators, l’Association internationale des jeunes avocats, la Fédération interaméricaine des avocats (FIA), l’American Bar Association (ABA), le Bar Council of England and Whales, etc. C’était pour ASF une occasion de présenter son programme sur l’accès à la justice pour les victimes du tremblement de terre, d’optimiser les opportunités de coordination et de discuter avec des organisations qui pourraient notamment constituer des réseaux additionnels d’expertise pour les fins du projet d’ASF. À la fin de ces deux journées, ASF dispose d’un portrait encore plus actuel des ressources disponibles et des intervenants potentiels. Des lignes de collaboration ont aussi été définies grâce à des réunions bilatérales tenues le 14 juin avec la MINUSTAH et ILAC, qui seront associées au projet d’ASF. tag:nouvelles.asfquebec.com,2010://1.322 2010-06-19T01:02:57Z 2010-06-19T01:04:43Z

Le coordonnateur communications et financement est responsable des communications externes et internes d’ASF, de l’identification de son image corporative et du rayonnement de l’organisation et de ses activités. Il est en charge du développement du financement privé et public d’ASF...

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Le technicien comptable s’occupe des tâches d’administration comptable et financière, de la tenue des registres comptables, du suivi budgétaire et des rapports financiers et comptables internes et ce, tant pour les projets de coopération internationale que pour le secrétariat. Il...

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