Petitioner, an elderly retired person, was diagnosed with diabetes and Benign Hypertrophy (a life-threatening terminal disease). Petitioner claimed that that the cost of the medication was prohibitive and that he was in need of urgent medical attention. Petitioner sought assistance of the court to enforce his fundamental rights to the highest attainable standard of health …Read more

On 28 October 1997, JC (a military officer) was arrested by Zambian police for an attempted coup d’état. He was severely tortured and charged with treason. While being tortured, he was forced to sign false confessions and to implicate other military officials. Because of the torture, he was hospitalized at various times. On 31 October …Read more

The issues presented in this case involved citizens living in poverty and the gaps in essential services provided by the government. The first issue was the availability of cash assistance to new mothers. The petitioners alleged that, per past orders of the Supreme Court, benefits should be made available to them under both the National …Read more

The plaintiff, Weheire, brought a suit against the Attorney-General alleging degrading and inhuman treatment during his arrest and detainment in 1986, a violation of his rights under the Constitution of Kenya (“Constitution”),. In December 1986, Weheire was arrested without a warrant.  After his arrest, Weheire claimed that his house was unlawfully searched. Weheire further alleged …Read more

Gable Masango, a prisoner serving a twelve-year prison term in Malawi, brought suit against Malawian government officials claiming the conditions of his and his fellow prisoners’ imprisonment violated the Republic of Malawi Constitution and the Prison Regulations of the Prisons Act (“Prison Regulations”). The prisoner alleged that the prison provided insufficient resources, including insufficient diet …Read more

The applicant, Mr. Tudor Ciorap, was incarcerated in a remand centre in Moldova after being arrested on fraud charges. Mr. Ciorap alleged that the conditions of the prison were inhuman as a result of overcrowding (e.g. 1 m2 per person), poor sanitary conditions (e.g. the presence of parasitic insects), and low quantity and quality of …Read more

The plaintiffs were residents of a group of islands heavily affected by the 2004 tsunami. They argued that they were facing a number of problems which the local administration could take steps to mitigate and that the problems required immediate governmental action. They argued that, while there were relief funds, these funds were not being …Read more

The author of the communication was the wife of the alleged victim, a Cameroon citizen. The author alleged that a group of police officers broke into her house without a warrant, claiming to be looking for a gun,  and began beating her husband (as well as battering the author, who was in an advanced state …Read more

In March 2002, the Botswana Government terminated certain basic services to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR), including access to: Drinking water; Maintenance of borehole water; Rations to registered destitute; Rations to registered orphans; Transport for the applicants’ children to and from school; and Healthcare to the applicants through mobile clinics and ambulance services. The …Read more

This was a civil appeal regarding the conditions in Zimbabwe’s police holding cells. The first and second Applicants, Kachingwe and Chibebe, were arrested by the police, with Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights serving as the third Applicant. The first Applicant was detained in a police cell overnight. The second Applicant was detained for two days. …Read more