Czech Centre for Human Rights and Democracy

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.

In May 2024, the European Commission completed its analysis of Poland's state of the rule of law. As a result, Poland is no longer at risk of severe breaches of the rule of law. Poland has been facing proceedings over the rule of law since 2017 due to certain actions of the previous Polish government.

The verdict of the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court, issued on  1 March 2024, marks a significant milestone in the ongoing investigation concerning the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The Appeals Chamber unanimously rejected Venezuela's appeal against the decision of the Pre-Trial Chamber from 2023 and affirmed the authorization to resume the investigation despite previous attempts to halt it.