Kathmandu, February 11

International Commission of Jurists, Amnesty International and TRIAL International today called on the government to commit to a transparent and consultative transitional justice process that complied with international law and the judgments of the Supreme Court.

The government has extended mandates of the two transitional justice mechanisms — Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Commission on the Investigation of Enforced Disappearance of Persons — for an additional year and their members till April 13.

“A further one-year extension will be meaningless if measures are not taken to secure the independence and impartiality of the commissions,” said Frederick Rawski, ICJ Asia Pacific director, in a press statement issued today. “This can only be achieved through a transparent selection process driven by a genuine will to combat impunity — not just for conflict victims, but for future generations.”

The three organisations reiterated their view that the process had till date failed to deliver justice, truth or reparation for victims of crimes under international law and gross human rights violations or establish laws and institutional safeguards to ensure that such crimes are never repeated. The organisations underscored the need for independent, competent and impartial commissions, compliance with international law, and meaningful participation of conflict victims, civil society and National Human Rights Commission in the design and implementation of the process.

The organisations also noted with disappointment that substantive legal concerns raised repeatedly by victims, civil society and the international human rights community had gone unanswered.