"This marks a backward, nervous step by the U.K., which is reluctant to bring tyrants and torturers to justice if it suits the government to sell them arms or to turn a blind eye to their human rights violations,"

said Geoffrey Robertson to AP, who as a U.N. appeals judge delivered key decisions on war crimes.

"The change in the law has nothing to do — as the U.K. claims — with insuring that cases proceed on solid evidence. No district court judge would issue an arrest warrant lightly."

"This court finds that the (Dutch) state acted wrongly through these executions and that the state is liable to pay damages in terms of the law.

[T]he state's argument that the case has expired based on the statute of limitations and of reasonableness and fairness is unacceptable".

“This is a wake-up call for law enforcement here because in human rights, there is no statute of limitations, as in criminal offenses.”

 “We haven’t seen the light in many cases of human rights abuses here. The Dutch ruling is a good lesson for our government and judicial system to be responsive to the victims.”

“This means that the state can’t just sit in silence for 60 years waiting for the case to go away or the plaintiffs to die.”

Human Rights Watch released a report Thursday calling for the International Criminal Court to do more to hold senior government officials accountable for atrocities and improve its credibility.

The 50-page report stated that the ICC had not gone far enough in prosecuting war criminals and ensuring justice was delivered, calling for additional cases to be opened.

Elizabeth Evenson, senior international justice counsel at Human Rights Watch said,

"The ICC's first investigations have too often bypassed key perpetrators and crimes.

By failing to project an effective and coherent strategy through his investigations, the prosecutor has too often come up short.”

Looking at ICC investigations in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, the group criticized the fact that charges were not brought forward onto government officials allegedly responsible for abuses. They also said that more government officials had to be prosecuted for their part in atrocities committed in the Central African Republic and in Darfur.

Writing in the Guardian, Evenson said,

“These choices matter. They have left too many victims without justice and have disappointed the public. They have undermined perceptions of the court's independence and impartiality.”

However, the New York-based group also praised the work of the ICC stating that it has made "an important contribution to tackling impunity for some of the world's worst crimes."

The group also welcomed the decision to investigate crimes in Libya and to move to investigate crimes in Côte d’Ivoire stating they "recognize that this responds to genuine needs for accountability for serious crimes committed in those countries".

The report, entitled “Unfinished Business: Closing Gaps in the Selection of ICC cases”, comes as the term for ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo draws to an end. A new prosecutor is expected to take office by mid-2012.

"With the appointment of a new prosecutor by year’s end and new cases in Libya, the ICC prosecutor should close gaps in investigation and prosecution strategies and bring additional cases."

But a renewed commitment by the ICC prosecutor to bring justice where it is needed most would go to the heart of delivering on the ICC's promise. Such a commitment deserves our support.”

Seated at The Hague, the ICC was set up in 2002 to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes.

"We want to know who did not fulfill the international obligation and who is responsible that this has taken so long."

“We have to exert great effort in order to find the bodies of the people who had been killed in the war conflicts and make their families at least a little bit calmer.

That way, we contribute to the policy of the regional reconciliation and understanding.”

"The NTC is firmly committed to human rights and the rule of law, both international and local."

“We look forward to concrete action to ensure as a matter of urgency that detainees are not ill-treated, and that particularly vulnerable groups such as Libyans from Tawargha – most of whom have fled their town -and sub-Saharan Africans, are protected from reprisals.”

"The new authorities must make a complete break with the abuses of the past four decades and set new standards by putting human rights at the centre of their agenda."

The Arab League demanded Syria end its brutal crackdown of peaceful protest on Tuesday.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Syria could descend into "civil war" and criticised Assad's regime for failing to "listen to the voice of the people."

The Turkish Prime Minister recently embarked on a tour of Arab Spring states emerging from the shadow of repressive dictators. Currently in Egypt, Erdogan is due to visit Tunisia and Libya shortly.

The UN estimate on the number of protesters killed was raised to 2600 on Monday at the UNHRC.

Navi Pillay, the High Commissioner for Human Rights stated, “the situation in Syria is still dire.”

Amid such casualty figures and harrowing tails of torture and abuse by Syrian security forces, the appointment a three member panel to investigate the allegations was announced on Monday.

However it remains uncertain how the investigation will take place, as President Assad has not granted the panel permission to visit the country.

The three-member panel will be led by Sérgio Pinheiro of Brazil, former United Nations investigator of political repression in Myanmar, Yakin Erturk of Turkey, a sociology professor and expert on women’s rights, and Karen Abu Zayd, an American, who is the former head of the UN body responsible for distributing relief to Palestinian refugees.

Efforts by the West at the UN Security Council, to impose sanctions on the regime, continue to face stern opposition by Moscow and Beijing however.

President Dmitry Medvedev stated Monday, "this resolution must be strict, but it must not lead to the automatic application of sanctions." Moscow is reportedly proposing a watered-down resolution calling on Assad's regime and the opposition to commence talks. 

Anti-Assad activists have condemned Moscow's stance.

Russian flags have been burnt in recent days and activists have been posting messages on websites saying "Do not support the killers".

"We express our anger towards Russia and the Russian government. The regime will disappear but the people will live," the activists added.

Speaking at the world's largest arms fair, held in London, the British Defence Secretary Liam Fox defended the UK's export licensing procedures as "amongst the most rigorous in the world"

Fox added,

"Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms are mandatory considerations for all export licence applications, which we consider on a case-by-case basis.

"When conditions change we act swiftly to revoke licences that do not meet our strict criteria - just as we did earlier this year as the events in the Middle East and North Africa unfolded."

"We will not compromise our values. But let me be equally clear, we will continue to support our allies and partners, we will help with their security needs, and we will support businesses seeking to do that."

The 2011 DSEi (Defence & Security Equipment International) opened Tuesday at the Excel centre in East London.

The opening was marked by anti-arms protesters condemning Britain's sale of arms to regimes with extensively recorded human rights abuses, including Bahrain.

The DSEi website boasts the attendence of 98 countries.

See 'UK weapons and Sri Lanka's war crimes against Tamils'

Sri Lanka has previously been invited to the arms fair. It remains uncertain if an invitation was sent this year.

See also: British Banks invest in cluster bomb manufacturers

In a letter to the United Nations, the Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network (HLLN) severely condemned the lack of adequate inquiry and prosecution of Sri Lankan soldiers accused of systematically raping Haitians women and girls as young as 7, whilst posted as UN peacekeepers in 2007.

Ezilo Dantò, HLLN president writes,

“In 2007, it was discovered and reported that girls as young as 13 were having sex with U.N. peacekeepers for as little as $1 in Haiti.” 

“Moreover, Sri Lankan soldiers were accused of systematically raping Haitian women and girls, some as young as 7 years old.”

“If only a dozen UN peacekeepers were punished for sexual abuse and rape, then that means, for instance, most of the 114 Sri Lankan soldiers deported back to Sri Lanka from Haiti in 2007 for sexual abuse and rape in Haiti did not get punished,”

“Humanitarian aid workers and UN peacekeepers accused of sexually abusing and sexual trafficking children in Haiti should have their names and their country’s identities exposed so that this matter may be cleaned up once and for all.”

However, Brigadiear Nihal Hapuarachchi, spokesperson for the Sri Lankan Army is reported to have stated the matter is closed. A full inquiry was carried out and those soldiers who were found guilty were prosecuted he asserted.

The UN charged 114 Sri Lankan soldiers with sexual exploitation, abuse against children and rape - a war crime in the context of military conflicts - in 2008.

The UN's investigative body, the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) stated that, working with the Sri Lankan government, all those responsible would be 'held accountable for their actions'.

Following the initial investigation by the UN's OIOS, the systematic and exploitative nature of the abuse was specifically highlighted. 

“acts of sexual exploitation and abuse (against children) were frequent and occurred usually at night, and at virtually every location where the contingent personnel were deployed,” 

“In exchange for sex, the children received small amounts of money, food, and sometimes mobile phones,” 

Such accounts bear a harrowing resemblence to the subsequent reports of sexual abuse, prostitution rings and rape of children by Sri Lankan forces during the final stages of the conflict in 2009 and within government-run IDP camps.

See 'Orgy of massacre, rape, torture and mutilation in final days' - an eye-witness account of the rape amid impunity by a Sri Lankan soldier.

Despite mounting evidence, the Sri Lankan government consistently refutes any such allegations.

Hapuarachchi confirms that Sri Lankan soldiers continue to serve in Haiti as peacekeepers and more are to be deployed next year. 

Thousands protested Sunday against police detention of Dalit leader John Pandian. Photo L. Balachandar/ The Hindu

Five people were killed Sunday in Tamil Nadu when police opened fire after an angry protest against the detention earlier of Dalit leader John Pandian turned violent.

See reports by PTI, The Hindu and Times of India.

Pandian was en route to attend a commemoration of the death anniversary of Dalit leader Immanuel Sekaran at Paramakudi in Ramanathapuram when he was detained by police, supposedly as his presence would ‘incite’ caste tensions.

But the arrest did just that.

Clashes between protesters and police broke out after crowds blocked roads outside Paramakudi to express their anger.

More than 3,000 people went on the rampage, throwing stones and setting shops, police vehicles and buses ablaze, reports said.

Police used tear gas and batton-charges before opening firing at the crowd, killing five people. About 50 others were injured in the violence.

Thirty vehicles, including buses, police vehicles were damaged,

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa defended the police firing as “self-defence” and blamed some people for disrupting law and order “for their own political gains.”

She also announced Rs 100,000 compensation from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to the next of kin of those killed.

Anti-Israeli protesters disrupted the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra at the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, London, on Sep 2nd.

And this week, the trial beganof ten students in the United States, who shouted down the Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren during a lecture at Univ of California Irvine in February 2010.

The protesters in London began shouting and heckling the orchestra as the conducter, Zubin Mehta stood up to commence Bruch's violin concerto.

Protesters, belonging to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, had called for a boycott of the concert.

In a statement released ahead of the Proms, the group argued Israeli orchestra's participation at the BBC's Proms showed "complicity in whitewashing Israel's persistent violations of international law and human rights."

The event which was being broadcast live on BBC 3 was taken off air due to the continued disruptions. The protesters were removed by security.

Meanwhile, last week in California ten university students - all Muslims - were charged with conspiring to disturb a meeting and disturbing Ambassador Oren's lecture. The charges carry a potential sentence of upto one year in jail.

Drawing attention to other similar college protests that did not resulted in criminal charges, the students argue they have been unfairly targeted due to their religious faith.

A spokesperson for the students, Kifah Shah, stated, "this is selective punishment".

"At this point, it is not just about these 10 students anymore. It is about every single one of us and about whether our right to freedom of speech is going to be upheld," she added.  

"Although the damage is irreparable, have the certainty that we will investigate thoroughly and apply the harshest sanctions against those responsible."

The Crown Prosecution Service is looking into findings of a report which found British soldiers guilty of a “very serious breach of discipline”, which caused the death of Basra hotel employee Baha Mousa.

26 year old Mousa was arrested by members of the 1st Battalion The Queen’s Lancashire regiment (QLR), along with 9 other Iraqis.

After being detained Mousa was subjected to a prolonged period of abuse, while being deprived of sleep and food. A post-mortem found 93 injuries on his body and evidence of asphyxiation. He died 36 hours after being detained.

Prime Minister David Cameron condemned the actions of the British soldiers and hinted at prosecution of individuals involved if further evidence emerges from the inquiry.

"The British Army, as it does, should uphold the highest standards. If there is further evidence that comes out of this inquiry that requires action to be taken, it should be taken."

During a court martial relating to the case in 2007 Cpl Donald Payne became the first British soldier convicted of a war crime. He was imprisoned for 1 year and dismissed from the army.

Six members of the QLR were cleared of any wrong doing during the court martial, but the latest report criticises commanding officer Col Mendonca, who was one of the accused.

It was found that Col Mendonca was unaware of the abuse but the chairman of the inquiry Sir William Gage said

"As commanding officer, he ought to have known what was going on in that building long before Baha Mousa died."

The report also found that two officers, Lt Craig Rodgers and Maj Michael Peebles, were aware of the abuse committed by soldiers and did not intervene or report the incidents.

“The events described in the report represent a very serious and regrettable incident. Such an incident should not have happened and should never happen again.’’ Sir William added.

Campaigners have called for the soldiers to be tried in a civilian court.

Sapna Malik, from law firm Leigh Day, said: “In light of the cogent and serious findings by Sir William Gage, we now expect that the military and civilian prosecuting authorities of this country will act to ensure that justice is done.”

Defence Secretary Liam Fox said in a statement to the Commons that the army had been guilty of systematic failures.

"What happened to Baha Mousa and his fellow detainees in September 2003 was deplorable, shocking and shameful...It was avoidable and preventable, and there can be no excuses. There is no place in our armed forces for the mistreatment of detainees. And there is no place for a perverted sense of loyalty that turns a blind eye to wrongdoing or erects a wall of silence to cover it up."

Sir William made a total of 73 recommendations to improve the way detained individuals are handled in the 1,366 page report.

The Baha Mousa Public Inquiry (Full Report)

Videos of Syrian soldiers callously beating prisoners and laughing whilst snipers fire from rooftops have emerged.

The videos, taken by soldiers on their phones, will no doubt provide evidence of government troops commiting human rights violations.

The trend of predominantly government forces from aross the world creating trophy videos shows no signs of abating.

See here.

It appears implausible that the such a rise represents a worldwide moral decline, but instead, a brazen confidence in guaranteed impunity, coupled with technological availability.

However, whilst some individuals were busy with such macabre acts, videos have also emerged of Syrian soldiers defying orders to attack civilians and switching to the rebel side.