Czech Centre for Human Rights and Democracy
The Centre is an independent academic institution monitoring human rights developments both domestically and worldwide, issuing a monthly Bulletin, as well as organizing conferences.
At the end of July, a Summer School of Criminal Law, organised by Babes-Bolyai University Law Faculty students, took place in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, which I also attended. The school hosted students from many European countries, including Germany, Lithuania, and Italy. Although the academic program was intense, the organizers also prepared a rich social program for the participants, allowing us to get to know Romania.
In 2020, the "Nth room" case, a significant criminal investigation in South Korea involving blackmail, cybersex trafficking, and the distribution of sexually exploitative videos via the Telegram app, caused considerable concern within the country. Currently, South Korea is facing a new challenge in the form of digital sex crime, which involves the creation and distribution of illegal pornographic videos using deepfake technology.
Thirty years ago, Rwanda experienced the 100-day-long genocide which resulted in several hundreds of thousands of deaths and destruction of the country. Since then, Rwanda has become one of the most developed states in Africa and has often been praised for its successful reconciliation process. However, all of this was done under the dominance of one single man, Paul Kagame, and has been done with increasing repression of any opposition to the regime run by the Rwandan Patriotic Front, which he leads. What does their landslide victory in the latest presidential and parliamentary elections foreshadow for the future of Rwanda?
In the last elections held in early June, Mexico elected a woman as its president. Claudia Sheinbaum became the first female president in the history of Mexico and the 136th elected or appointed female head of state or head of government in worldwide history. Whilst gender stereotypes are being challenged and the diverse representation of women is becoming more evident, there is still a need for more progressive mindsets and inclusive behavior around the world.
The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights has released its Fundamental Rights Report for 2024, highlighting numerous threats to fundamental rights across Europe. The report emphasizes the urgent need for strong and sustainable protection of human rights, noting challenges such as the rising cost of living, widespread poverty, threats to democracy, and ongoing racism.
When the European Court of Human Rights ruled in April this year in the Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz case that Switzerland had violated the European Convention on Human Rights by failing to adequately address climate change, it was a landmark decision. However, it was not the Strasbourg Court that first addressed the relationship between human rights and climate change. A number of earlier, equally important decisions by other institutions paved the way for this judgment.
Since 7 October 2023, the Gaza Strip has been involved in an intense armed conflict between Israel and Hamas, sparking numerous legal debates. Two international courts, the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, have both intervened, addressing various aspects of the conflict.