On 29 and 30 January 2007, from 9 a.m. till 6 p.m. in the Central House of Journalists (8a, Nikitsky Av.) experts of the Eminent Jurists Panel, created by the International Commission of Jurists (Geneva) – Ms. Mary Robinson, a former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Hina Jilani, a Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Human Rights Defenders and Stefan Trechsel, a judge of the UN International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia – will hold a public hearing to examine the response of the Russian Federation to the threat of terrorism and the impact of counter-terrorism laws and policies on human rights and legislation. The experts will be hearing evidence of a wide range of people – state officials, scientists, lawyers, jurists, human rights defenders and representatives of civil society. The hearing is open for the media. No special accreditation is required.
On 2 February 2007, at 12 a.m. in the Central House of Journalists, members of the Eminent Experts Panel will hold a press-conference where they will share with the media their preliminary conclusions about the counter-terrorism situation in Russia. The three representatives will also be ready to give exclusive interviews.
The hearing in Russia is a part of the global counter terrorism research to examine counter terrorism laws, policies and practices, fulfilled by the Eminent Jurists Panel, which was created by the International Commission of Jurists (Geneva). Ten such hearings have already been held in different countries of the world. The conclusions of the Panel about Russia’s ability to meet the challenge of terrorism will be used in preparation of a world-wide report on terrorism, counter terrorism and human rights, which the Eminent Jurists Panel schedules to issue in summer 2007 for the United Nations. The hearing in Russia have been organized by the International Commission of Jurists and the Coordinating Committee of Russia’s NGOs, which include the Independent Legal Advisory Council, Center for Development of Democracy and Human Rights, Human Rights Center the “Memorial”, Nizhny Novgorod Committee Against Torture, Center “Demos” and Moscow Helsinki Group.
***
Briefly about the experts of the Eminent Jurists Panel:
Ms. Mary Robinson (Ireland) – a former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the first woman president of Ireland. She is now head of the Ethical Globalization Initiative in New York and Vice-President of the Club de Madrid, organizer of the 2005 International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism and Security.
Mr. Stefan Trechsel (Switzerland) – a judge of the UN International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, an expert in criminal law and criminal procedure, Stefan Trechsel served for more than 20 years as a member of the European Commission on Human Rights, including as its President.
Ms. Hina Jilani – a lawyer of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, a founder of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, a Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Human Rights Defenders.
For further information about the visit of the Eminent Jurists Panel representatives please contact Eugenia Zusman (Moscow) tel.: +74952039196 or Gerald Staberoku (Geneva) tel. +41229793800 or +41793775446. The information is also available at the website of the International Commission of Jurists http://www.icj.org/