International Law

Guinea President Dies, Soldiers Attempt Coup

Posted on December 23, 2008
Hours after the death of President Lansana Conte a group of Guinean soldiers announced their intention to suspend the constitution and the government. The group has been called "the minority" by General Diarra Camara, armed forces chief of Guinea. President Conte had led the poverty-stricken nation since 1984...

Musicians Protest Use of Music to Tormet Detainees

Posted on December 10, 2008
Musicians are joining together to demand that the U.S. stop using their songs to tormet detainees in the war on terror. Reprieve, a human rights group, has organized a campaign in which musicians will feature moments of silence during concerts. There are many reports of music being played at loud volumns and for extended periods of time in order to "break" detainees...

Musicians Protest Use of Music to Torment Detainees

Posted on December 10, 2008
Musicians are joining together to demand that the U.S. stop using their songs to torment detainees in the war on terror. Reprieve, a human rights group, has organized a campaign in which musicians will feature moments of silence during concerts.There are many reports of music being played at loud volumns and for extended periods of time in order to "break" detainees...

Obama to Close Guantanamo

Posted on November 10, 2008
President-elect Barack Obama plans to close the Guantanamo Bay prison which has held detainees captured as part of the "war on terror." This move is a welcomed one for human rights advocates. Some suspects will be released, likely due to lack of evidence...

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Olympics Bring More Abuses

Posted on August 08, 2008
It was hoped that hosting the Olympic games would cause China to better its deplorable human rights record. According to some, however, it has only increased the abuses. Steven W. Mosher, an internationally recognized China expert, says that in preparation for the games the Chinese government has: -- Arrested, imprisoned, and tortured numerous political dissidents...

"Texas Executes Mexican Despite Objections"

Posted on August 06, 2008
Texas executed Mexican national, José E. Medellín, lat night despite a ruling by the International Court of Justice that further hearings should be held to determine if his trial was fair. His case was part of a debate over 51 trials which were questioned because the Mexican nationals accused were never given an opportunity to talk to a consul...

Junta Takes Power in Mauritania

Posted on August 06, 2008
Army officers staged a coup in Mauritania today, detaining the president, prime minister and interior minister, key members of the country's first freely elected government since gaining independence in 1960. President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi is apparently being held by soldiers in the presidential palace in the capital city, Nouakchott...

Bush To Speak about Human Rights in China

Posted on August 06, 2008
US President George Bush will give a speech in Thailand today denouncing China's human rights record. The White House has released some of the speech already:?The United States believes the people of China deserve the fundamental liberty that is the natural right of all human beings...

Zimbabwe Continues to Suffer After the Election

Posted on August 04, 2008
The US Department of State released some pretty depressing numbers about Zimbabwe today. Since the March 29 presidential elections there have been 129 murders of opposition party members. In the capital city alone, an average of 60 people seek medical care every day as the result of political violence...

"Karadzic Accuses His Accusers"

Posted on August 02, 2008
Former Bosnian Serb leader, Radovan Karadzic, currently on trial before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia for war crimes, has written a letter addressing "drastic irregularities" in his treatment. Karadzic claims in his letter that he will be unable to receive a fair trial due to irregularities such as a "media witch-hunt...

Former US Ambassador Reflects on ICC

Posted on August 02, 2008
Found an interesting piece by David Scheffer, former US Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues (1997-2001), who headed the United States delegation to the talks creating the International Criminal Court. Mr. Scheffer provides interesting insight on the development and US position of the ICC.

Karadzic Trial Q & A

Posted on July 24, 2008
Check out an interesting and informative Question and Answer piece on the upcoming Radovan Karadzic trial here.

Nepal Swears In First President

Posted on July 23, 2008
Ram Baran Yadav was sworn in as President of Nepal today after 240 years of monarchal rule. Yadav must now try to work with the Maoist party who are refusing to form a government under him. The Maoist control the most seats in the Constituent Assembly.

Karadzic, Accused War Criminal Arrested

Posted on July 21, 2008
Radovan Karadzic, the former Bosnian Serb president, has been arrested after more than a decade of hiding. Karadzic is charged with genocide, crimes against humanity and violations of the law of war for his role in the deaths of up to 300,000 in Bosnia...

ICC Prosecutor Seeks Arrest of Sudan's al-Bashir

Posted on July 14, 2008
International Criminal Court Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo has asked the court to issue an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. Bashir is the most senior member pursued by the court and one of few sitting heads of state ever charged by an international court...

"Constitution Drafting in Post-Conflict States"

Posted on April 09, 2008
William and Mary School of Law has just published an interesting symposium entitled, "Constitution Drafting in Post-Conflict States," which focuses on various issues related to drawing up constitutions in a post-conflict situation. Many current events are discussed and issues range from the need for rule of law in places like Iraq to the influence of theocracy in Pakistan...

Pakistan Chief Justice Freed by New Premier

Posted on March 25, 2008
Moments after being confirmed as Pakistan's new prime minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani ordered that Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry (pictured) be freed. Chaudhry had been under house arrest since November when President Musharraf had security forces carry him out of the Supreme Court while hearing a case about Musharraf's right to continue as president...

Darfur Peacekeeping Force Struggling

Posted on March 24, 2008
Despite what many consider an ongoing genocide in Darfur, the United Nations peacekeeping force continues to be delayed. The force officially replaced the incapable African Union force on January 1, 2008, but so far has only deployed 9,000 of an anticipated 26,000...

Annan: UN "Overstretched"

Posted on March 21, 2008
Former secretary general of the UN, Kofi Annan, said yesterday that the UN is "overstretched" and should not take on any more responsibilities as long as the major powers continue to withhold the needed support."I don't think the UN is in a position today to go in and take over in Afghanistan; I don't think the UN will get the resources to play a major and active role in Somalia...

Violence in Kosovo Escalates

Posted on March 18, 2008
A United Nations police officer from the Ukraine has died following injuries suffered during riots by Serbs in Kosovo. Rioters used rocks, Molotov cocktails, and even hand grenades against police after police retook two UN courthouses in the town of Mitrovica...

Pro-Tibet Protests Around the World

Posted on March 16, 2008
Protests calling for an end to Chinese rule of Tibet have erupted across the globe. Violent protests have taken lace throughout Tibet, leaving anywhere from 10-80 dead and many more injured or jailed. Meanwhile, there have been protests in places such as the Chinese embassy in Paris, the Chinese consulate in the Hague, and in New York outside the United Nations and Chinese consulate...

US State Department Names World's Worst Human Rights Offenders

Posted on March 12, 2008
North Korea, Myanmar, Iran, Syria, Zimbabwe, Cuba, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Eritrea and Sudan were named the world's ten worst human rights offenders in a new report detailing 2007 abuses. To the surprise of many China was dropped from the list, although their ?overall human rights record remained poor...

Bush's Anti-Torture Veto Stands

Posted on March 12, 2008
An attempt by the House of Representatives to override President Bush's veto of a ban on enhanced interrogation techniques failed yesterday. The bill would have limited the CIA and other US agencies to interrogation techniques found in the Army's field manual...

Justice Department to Investigate Torture

Posted on February 24, 2008
I am a little behind here, but the US Department of Justice announced Friday that there is an investigation pending into a 2002 Office of Legal Counsel memo on interrogation standards which authorized waterboarding and other harsh interrogation techniques...

Raul Castro selected as next Cuban president

Posted on February 24, 2008
To no one's surprise, Fidel Castro's younger brother, Fidel, was selected as Cuba's next president today. He was unanimously chosen by Cuba's National Assembly and proposed that the Assembly consult with Fidel on important matters.

Rioters Attack US Embassy in Belgrade

Posted on February 21, 2008
Reacting to US support for Kosovo's independence, rioters in Serbia attacked the US Embassy today. Rioters were able to force their way into the building, starting fires and destroying furniture.

Attorneys in Pakistan Continue to Rally for Independent Judiciary

Posted on February 21, 2008
Pakistani lawyers continue weekly rallies for the restoration of 63 judges removed last November by President Pervez Musharraf. Former Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry supported the lawyers efforts, despite being under house arrest. Chaudhry was first suspended last March, but reinstated by the high court...

Fidel Castro Resigns

Posted on February 19, 2008
Fidel Castro has resigned as President of Cuba after nearly 50 years of heading the island nation. His failing health is considered to be the main reason behind his decision. Castro came into power in 1959 and was a very important communist figure in history...

Kosovo Declares Independence

Posted on February 17, 2008
Kosovo has officially declared independence from Serbia and is now relying on US and EU support to gain international acceptance. Serbian officials were displeased with the declaration, but promised they will respond peacefully. Russia, who backs Serbia, has opposed Kosovo becoming an independent state and could delay the process in the United Nations...

World's Worst Dictators

Posted on February 17, 2008
Kim Jong-Il (pictured) tops Parade's list of the World's Worst Dictators this year. Parade says the dictators are chosen based on human-rights abuses, the level of suffering caused by their leadership, and the amount of absolute power they possess. On Parade...

14 UN Workers Missing After Blast in Algeria

Posted on December 11, 2007
Two suspected truck bombs rocked Algiers, the capital of Algeria today. One exploded just outside of the United Nations headquarters causing massive damage to UN offices. The other target was a building housing Algeria's Constitutional Council and Supreme Court...

The Human Rights "YouTube"

Posted on November 12, 2007
Witness, an organization formed in 1992 to protect human rights through video taping of abuses, has set up an internet site entitled "The Hub" which is essentially a human rights version of "YouTube". The site does not record the IP addresses of contributors to protect their anonymity...

Pinochet Era General Jailed

Posted on August 30, 2007
The life sentence of former Chilean General Hugo Salas Wenzel was upheld by the Chilean Supreme Court today making him the first senior military officer to receive such a term for human rights violations. Wenzel was convicted for his hand in 12 political murders under the Pinochet regime.

Sudan Refuses to Cooperate with ICC

Posted on August 30, 2007
Sudan is refusing to execute arrest warrants for two Sudanese men wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity. One of the men is Sudan?s Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and the other is a Janjaweed militia leader...

Noriega Extradition Approved

Posted on August 28, 2007
Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega could be headed to France where he faces a 10 year sentence for money laundering following a US federal court decision today. Noriega was found guilty in France in absentia and also faces charges in Panama for kidnapping, extortion and murder of political opponents...

Israel Denies Darfur Refugees

Posted on August 20, 2007
Fifty Africans, most of them believed to be Sudanese, were turned away by Israel on Sunday. The refugees had illegally entered via the southern border with Egypt and were driven back to Egypt. Human rights activists were very troubled by the move as earlier this month Israeli TV aired a report about Egyptian soldiers killing refugees...

Migrant Workers in Saudi Arabia Killed

Posted on August 17, 2007
Human Rights Watch is reporting that two migrant domestic workers were beaten to death in Saudi Arabia recently and two others critically injured. These Indonesian women were apparently beaten by a Saudi Arabian family for practicing black magic on the family's son...

Somali and Ethiopian Soldiers Accused of War Crimes

Posted on August 13, 2007
Human Rights Watch released a new report today which accuses both the Somali insurgents and Ethiopian military of war crimes. The Somali forces' violations include: the indiscriminate firing of mortar rounds into civilian areas; deployment of forces in densely populated neighborhoods; targeted killings of civilian officials of the transitional Somali government; and summary executions and mutilation of the bodies of captured combatants...

UN Approves New Troops for Darfur

Posted on July 31, 2007
The UN Security Council today approved a plan to send 20000 troops and 6000 civilian police to Darfur. Unfortunately the troops will not be allowed to seize weapons, only monitor them. Still, this is a step in the right direction as the region is in dire need of international intervention.

Namibian Organization asks ICC for Investigation

Posted on July 31, 2007
The Namibian Society for Human Rights has asked the International Criminal Court to investigate former President Sam Nujoma for the disappearances and deaths of over 4,000 from 1990-2005. Nujoma led Namibia following its independence from South Africa and some of the disappeared were accused of spying for South Africa.

Khmer Rouge Prison Chief Charged

Posted on July 31, 2007
The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia have charged former Khmer Rogue prison chief Kaing Khek Iev with crimes against humanity in connection with the genocide in Cambodia from 1975-1979. For more check out the Jurist.

Nepal's 'disappeared'

Posted on July 18, 2007
Last week I mentioned how the civil war in Nepal had resulted in many human rights violations, many of them attributed to the Maoist rebels (especially the use of child soldiers). However, even the Nepali government appears to have committed terrible acts, among them "disappearances"...

Child Soldiers Still Remain in Chad

Posted on July 17, 2007
According to a new report issued by Human Rights Watch the government of Chad continues to use child soldiers in its military despite agreements to demobilize them. The UN Security Council's working group on children and armed conflict will meet July 19 to discuss the matter further...

Charles Taylor's Assets Face Seizure

Posted on July 12, 2007
The government of Liberia is working on legislation to seize the assets of former Liberian President Charles Taylor. Taylor is currently at the Hague where he is facing charges for his support of rebels in Sierra Leone from 1997-2003. The charges include terrorizing civilians, murder, sexual violence, physical violence, enslavement, looting, and using child soldiers...

Return of Civil War in Nepal Imminent?

Posted on July 09, 2007
The far left Maoist rebels of Nepal still wish to have absolute power and could ruin the peace process warns US Ambassador James Moriarty. The Maoist, considered a terrorist organization by the US, agreed to end a decade-long civil war last November and were given positions in the government...

Croatia Passes Turkey in EU Bid

Posted on June 26, 2007
Croatia's bid to join the EU is progressing smoothly, while Turkey has suffered a setback at the hands of the French. Croatia began negotiation in six of the 35 policy areas they are required to address for EU membership. They are already in the process of meeting four and have completed two others...

Buying Immunity?

Posted on June 26, 2007
Jacob "Kobi" Alexander was out of the US when he learned he was going to be indicted on various fraud charges in connection with backdating stock options in June of 2006. Instead of returning to the country to face the charges he made his way to Namibia where he was caputred by Interpol in September 2006...

ICTY Sentences Martic to 35 Years

Posted on June 12, 2007
The International Criminal Tribunal - Yugoslavia has sentenced former Croatian rebel leader Milan Martic to 35 years for his part in the ethnic cleansing of non-Serbs. Martic was found guilty of 16 counts of various war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, torture and persecution, committed during the 1991-1995 efforts to create a unified Serb state.

End of Impunity for World Leaders

Posted on June 04, 2007
The Economist has a nice article about the end of impunity for world leaders accused of committing crimes against humanity. There has been a lot of progress in trying and convicting these types of offenders in the last few years and it looks like there will be more accountability in the future...

US Places New Sanctions on Sudan

Posted on May 29, 2007
After weeks of threats the US has followed through with new economic sanctions on Sudan. The targets are mainly state-owned businesses. President Bush said that diplomacy was not working and that more pressure was needed to stop the genocide.Meanwhile, Sudanese officials have stated the new sanctions are "not justified...

"Use of Force" Against Iran?

Posted on May 16, 2007
John Bolton, Former US Ambassador to the UN, stated today that if Iran continues to enrich uranium the US and other nations need to join together to effect a "regime change by bolstering opposition groups" in Iran. We went on to say that if that failed the US "need[s] to look at the use of force...

Nepal's Maoists Still Hold Child Soldiers

Posted on May 08, 2007
An estimated 6,000-9,000 child soldiers are believed to be kept in cantonment sites in Nepal by the Maoist forces despite a November 2006 peace agreement between the Nepalese government and the Maoists which specifically prohibits the enlistment or use of children under the age of 18...

Venezuela Nationalizes Oil

Posted on May 01, 2007
Venezuelan Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez declared today that the country's oil fields have returned to state control. All of the Big Oil companies have ceded power, except for ConocoPhillips. Chavez has warned Conoco's assets may be expropriated if they do not give in...

Five Convicted in London Bomb Plot

Posted on April 30, 2007
Five British men have been convicted in connection with a plot to bomb targets in London. The men were arrested following a lengthy covert investigation by British police in 2004. The men had planned to bomb several targets including a nightclub, power plants, and a shopping mall...

Somali Fighting Rages On

Posted on April 23, 2007
The Somalia capital of Mogadishu entered a sixth day of fighting today as Islamic insurgents launched more attacks against Ethiopian and Somalian forces. As many as 300 are believed dead as a result, with many of those thought to be civilians caught by the shelling and tank fire...