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Section International Review of the Red Cross, 2005 - No. 857  The first issue of the International Review of the Red Cross in its new format is devoted to one of the core activities of the ICRC: the protection of detainees. 
The combination of torture and ill-treatment in detention, the sealing of avenues for legal redress, and the silencing of public information about clandestine detention abuses has created an increasingly hostile environment for detainees in many countries.  EditorialDetention31-3-2005 Interview with Lech WalesaAs one of the leaders of the Polish workers, Lech Walesa was detained several times during the 1970s. In December 1981, Walesa, along with several thousand others, was arrested when General Jaruzelski imposed martial law and “suspended” the labour movement “Solidarnosc” (Solidarity). Walesa was interned in a country house in a remote part of Poland, close to the then Soviet border, and was visited three times by ICRC delegates. International Review of the Red Cross Includes PDF 31-3-2005 Human rights and indefinite detentionInternational human rights law abhors a legal black hole. It applies wherever a State exercises its jurisdiction, not only in peacetime but also during armed conflict, as a compliment to humanitarian law. The deprivation of liberty is subject to certain conditions, and even initially lawful detention becomes arbitrary and contrary to law if it is not subject to periodic review. International Review of the Red Cross Includes PDF 31-3-2005 Casting light on the legal black hole: International law and detentions abroad in the “war on terror”In the deprivation of liberty by agents acting outside the sovereign territory of their State, the prevention of violations of fundamental norms and values is particularly important. International Review of the Red Cross Includes PDF 31-3-2005 Visits by human rights mechanisms as a means of greater protection for persons deprived of their libertyThe growing number of agencies engaged in detention-related activities has resulted in coverage of a wider range of situations by visiting mechanisms and in complementary protections for persons deprived of their liberty. International Review of the Red Cross Includes PDF 31-3-2005 Protection of detainees: ICRC action behind barsThe protective effect of the ICRC’s activities will depend above all on its ability to intervene on behalf of detainees by approaching the responsible authorities and, more generally, to overcome indifference. International Review of the Red Cross Includes PDF 31-3-2005 The policy context of torture: A social-psychological analysisActs of torture are conceptualized as crimes of obedience, which are inevitably linked to crimes at higher levels of the hierarchy, where orders are issued, policy is formulated, and the atmosphere conducive to acts of torture is created. International Review of the Red Cross Includes PDF 31-3-2005 A haunting figure: The hostage through the agesThe hostage has now reached the final stage in the deterioration of an already unenviable condition. This deterioration is not only due to the aggressors themselves but also reflects the current asymmetry in conflicts and is, even more, the result of a cruel irony of history. International Review of the Red Cross Includes PDF Selected articles on international humanitarian law31-3-2005 Asymmetrical warfare from the perspective of humanitarian law and humanitarian actionThe fateful events of 11 September 2001 epitomized a situation that confronts
the ICRC in its work in many conflict zones all over the world, namely asymmetrical warfare. The belligerants are unequal, they have disparate aims and employ dissimilar methods to pursue their tactics and strategies. International Review of the Red Cross Includes PDF 31-3-2005 Study on customary international humanitarian law: A contribution to the understanding and respect for the rule of law in armed conflictIn the light of the achievements to date and the work that remains to be done, the study should not be seen as the end but rather as the beginning of a new process aimed at improving understanding of and agreement on the principles and rules of international humanitarian law. International Review of the Red Cross Includes PDF Reports and documents31-3-2005 61st Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, 16 March 2005Of the many people affected by armed conflict and other situations of violence every year, it is often those who are deprived of liberty that are at a particular risk of physical or mental abuse, disappearance, and whose immediate needs such as food, water and medical care are often not adequately met. Jakob Kellenberger is ICRC president International Review of the Red Cross Includes PDF 31-3-2005 National implementation of international humanitarian lawBiannual update on national legislation and case law July–December 2004 International Review of the Red Cross Includes PDF Books and articlesInternational Review of the Red Cross Includes PDF  |
