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Post tagged in "City Bar"

New York City Bar Association Welcomes Guatemalan Journalist José Rubén Zamora’s Release to House Arrest, Repeats Call for Guatemala to Uphold International Law

Posted on October 21, 2024

New York, October 21, 2024 – The New York City Bar Association today welcomed a Guatemalan court’s decision to release imprisoned journalist José Rubén Zamora to house arrest and reiterated its call for Guatemalan authorities to ensure the rights of anti-corruption actors. On Friday, October 18, Judge Erick García Alvarado ruled that Zamora’s time in prison had exceeded the limits established by law and that his release was necessary “for human rights reasons.” Zamora was released from prison to his home the next day. He remains under house arrest, is required to appear before authorities every eight days, and cannot leave... read more

City Bar Statement on Peruvian Congress’s Passage of Statute of Limitations Bill

Posted on August 20, 2024

On July 4, 2024, Peru’s Congress passed Bill No. 6951/2023-CR, a piece of legislation that would establish a statute of limitations on crimes against humanity committed from 1980-2002, effectively ensuring impunity for atrocities that occurred during former president Alberto Fujimori’s administration and Peru’s internal armed conflict. This decision came on the heels of an Inter-American Court of Human Rights resolution granting provisional measures in the Case of Barrios Altos and Case of La Cantuta v. Peru, both of which involved accountability for massacres committed under the Fujimori regime. Despite the Court’s admonishment of the bill and directive to the State... read more

City Bar Statement on Venezuela’s 2024 Presidential Election

Posted on August 15, 2024

In a statement published on August 15, the New York City Bar Association condemned the Venezuelan government’s lack of transparency concerning the results following the July 28, 2024, election and expressed grave concern about the reported use of excessive police force and arbitrary or politically motivated detentions by the Venezuelan government in response to peaceful post-election demonstrations. The City Bar calls on the Venezuelan government to fully adhere to its international and domestic legal obligations, including Venezuela’s commitment to respect its citizens’ freedoms of political speech and assembly, as well as their rights to due process of law. “Law enforcement... read more

City Bar Statement Expressing Concern About the New Legislation to Regulate Non-Profit Organizations in Paraguay

Posted on October 14, 2024

También disponible en español aquí In a new report, the New York City Bar Association expressed serious concern about proposed legislation currently under discussion before Paraguay’s Congress. The legislation is ostensibly aimed at promoting transparency and accountability of non-profit organizations but would, in fact, limit their ability to function. If passed, the law “would hinder non-profits in numerous ways, including discouraging international cooperation or alliances and potentially violating the rights to freedom of expression, association, and privacy, amongst others, that have been enumerated under international human rights treaties and standards,” the statement says. The report presents the history and key... read more

City Bar Statement Regarding the Elimination of Independent Agencies in Mexico

Posted on November 27, 2024

También disponible en español aquí In a new report, the New York City Bar Association expressed serious concern about a measure approved last week by Mexico’s Congress that would eliminate seven autonomous agencies in Mexico and consolidate the functions of these independent agencies under the executive branch. The reform “represents a significant threat to institutional independence and democratic principles that guarantee transparency, accountability, and protection of fundamental rights in Mexico,” the statement says.  The report emphasizes the essential role of these autonomous agencies within Mexico’s democracy, where they “serve as checks on executive power, promoting the separation of powers and... read more

City Bar Statement Expressing Concern about the Proposal to Reform the Mexican Judiciary

Posted on August 21, 2024

También disponible en español aquí In a new report, the New York City Bar Association expressed serious concern about a proposal by outgoing Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to overhaul Mexico’s judicial selection process. The reform “can have the adverse effect of seriously harming the independence of Mexico’s judiciary,” the statement says.  The report outlines President López Obrador’s history of attacks on the independence of Mexico’s judiciary, reviews the substance of his proposed changes, and “urges President López Obrador and President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum to recognize the importance of an independent judiciary for the rule of law and to respect... read more