This is the news in brief from the United Nations.
Trials of former prominent Spanish judge ‘arbitrary’ - UN Committee
The trials of former Spanish judge Baltasar Garzón were arbitrary and did not comply with the principles of judicial independence and impartiality, the UN Human Rights Committee concluded on Thursday.
The Committee emphasized that even if Mr. Garzón had committed a judicial error in the two major political cases of Franco and Gürtel, they should have been corrected by a review before a higher court and not through the criminal prosecution.
In the Franco case, Mr. Garzón assumed jurisdiction to investigate enforced disappearances during the Civil War and the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco.
In the Gürtel case, the former judge decided to monitor communications between defendants and their representatives to prevent the commission of crimes.
The former judge of the Spanish National Court was criminally prosecuted and tried in 2012 for alleged willful abuse of power. He was acquitted in the Franco case, but was convicted in the Gürtel case and disbarred from office for 11 years.
Coming months critical for future pandemic preparedness: WHO chief
The next three months will be a critical period for stepping up global collective action against future pandemics, according to the head of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Although the COVID-19 caseload stabilized last week, after nearly two months of increases, the level remains high, said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysus, adding that “as long as this virus is circulating anywhere, it’s a threat everywhere”.
He noted that three major meetings – the UN General Assembly in September, followed by the G20 Summit in October, and a special session of the World Health Organization’s governing body set for November – would be “critical...for shaping the future of pandemic preparedness and response”.
A report issued by a G20-established high-level independent panel calls for strengthening WHO and repurposing the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other multilateral development banks so that they can help countries deliver a speedy response whenever a pandemic emerges.
The panel has also proposed the creation of a Global Health Threats Fund to mobilize $10 billion annually, and the establishment of a new governance mechanism that brings together financial and health decision-makers.
‘Serious concern’ over Malawi’s decision to reinstate the death penalty
The decision by Malawi's Supreme Court of Appeal to resume imposing the death penalty raises “serious concerns on the due administration of justice”, UN Human Rights (OHCHR) Spokesperson Marta Hurtado said on Thursday.
The move comes four months after a judgement that was widely understood to abolish the death penalty in the country.
Ms. Hurtado argued that the death penalty is inconsistent with a State’s duty to protect the fundamental right to life, and there is no evidence globally that it has a deterrent effect on serious crimes.
The risk that an innocent person may be condemned to death, is heightened in Malawi, she added, as the law does not criminalize confessions extracted under duress, including through torture and ill-treatment, nor preclude their admission as evidence in court.
Ms. Hurtado warned that the renewed uncertainty for people who have been sentenced to death could lead to intense suffering for both themselves and their families. She also reminded the Government and Parliament of Malawi that they can still take steps to formally abolish the death penalty in the country through legislation.
Katy Dartford, UN News
