The Permanent Peoples' Tribunal (PPT) is an international human rights organization founded in Bologna, Italy, on June 24, 1979, at the initiative of Senator Lelio Basso. It was established during the final session of the Russell Tribunal with the aim of condemning Latin American dictatorships. The court is composed of a president, four vice-presidents, a secretary-general and 66 international members. Since its establishment, the Tribunal conducted 46 sessions.

History

The Permanent Peoples' Tribunal (PPT) began in Bologna in 1979, continuing the work of the Russell Tribunal II on Latin American dictatorships (1974–1976). It was founded by Lelio Basso to denounce the crimes committed by military regimes in the region. The PPT aims to encourage action in judicial courts based on intergovernmental treaties, such as the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice. The PPT's work is based on the principles of the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Peoples, proclaimed in Algiers in 1976, and on the main international instruments protecting human rights. The historical and geographical context of the Declaration, known as the Charter of Algiers, links its general principles with liberation struggles, which Resolution 1514 (XV) of the United Nations of 14 December 1960 had already placed under the protection of international law, with the understanding that the right to self-determination remained unfulfilled and that it did not involve decolonization.

Structure

The court is composed of a president (currently Philippe Texier of France), four vice-presidents, a secretary general (currently Gianni Tognoni of Italy), a coordination officer (currently Simona Fraudatario of Italy), and 58 members from 26 countries, from different disciplines such as law, economy, sociology, arts, and literature.

Sessions

As of 2016, the Tribunal has held 46 sessions on numerous cases of human rights violations. The judgments of the TPP rely on sources of existing international law.

List of sessions