In association with the International Commission of Jurists

Author: Jessica Dorsey

24 Dec

Four more nominations for the post of WTO Director-General have been received in the past few days: Herminio Blanco (Mexico), Ahmad Hindawi (Jordan), Amina Mohamed (Kenya) and Tim Groser (New Zealand). Russia's Foreign Minister has stated that the Syrian government is unlikely to deploy chemical weapons as it would amount to political suicide. An Afghan policewoman has killed a NATO military adviser in Kabul. Islamists in Mali have destroyed more of the historic Timbuktu mausoleums. The...

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23 Dec

Upcoming Events The ABA Section of International Law presents the 3rd Annual "Live from L," The Office of the Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of State Thursday, January 10th, 2013 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM US Eastern Time entitled: "International Lawyering for the U.S. Government in an Era of Smart Power: Emerging Issues for the Next Four Years." More information and registration can be found by clicking here. The Oxford...

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21 Dec

The ICTR issued its final decision yesterday, sentencing former Rwandan minister Augustin Ngirabatware to 35 years in prison. An Argentine court sentenced former Interior Minister Jaime Smart to life in prison for crimes against humanity during the nation's 1976-1983 “Dirty War.” The UN sees no prospect of an end to the violence in Syria, according to Ban Ki-Moon, and urges unity from...

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20 Dec

Al Qaeda has staged a comeback in Syria, posing a dilemma for the opposition fighting to remove President Bashar al-Assad and making the West balk at military backing for the revolt. The United Nations Security Council members, except for the United States, have condemned Israel’s latest plans to construct thousands of settlement homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The UN Security...

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19 Dec

Yesterday, in its second decision to date, the International Criminal Court acquitted Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui of the seven counts of war crimes and three counts of crimes against humanity he faced related to the conflict about ten years ago in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, due to lack of evidence. In the face of criticism from many on the acquittal...

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18 Dec

Syrian forces first surrounded a Palestinian camp in Damascus before then taking full control of it, a day after air raids killed at least 8 who were seeking shelter there inside a mosque. Israel has approved 1,500 more settlement homes in East Jerusalem, prompting Palestinians to say they may seek a UN Security Council meeting on the issue. The US Department of...

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17 Dec

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed alarm  at the worsening violence in Syria, including the reported mass killing of Alawites and alleged firing of long-range missiles on Syrian territory. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea celebrated its 30-year anniversary. France reported that officials from the Afghan government, the Taliban rebel movement and other factions would meet this week near Paris to...

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14 Dec

The United Kingdom has paid $3.5 million to settle a rendition case brought by Libyan dissident Sami al Saadi. The European Court of Human Rights released its decision (.pdf) in the Al Masri v. The Republic of Macedonia case finding he was a victim of CIA rendition. The ICC Appeals Chamber dismissed a challenge from ex-Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo that the...

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13 Dec

Syrian troops have been accused of using Scud missiles in populated areas, according to a US official and Human Rights Watch. The United Kingdom has announced its intent to legalize same-sex marriage in the coming year. Trial Chamber II of the ICTY convicted Bosnian Serb commander Zdravko Tolimir for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes and sentenced him to life in...

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12 Dec

Following the EU's example yesterday, the US has recognized Syria's opposition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people and many more world powers are poised to do the same at the “Friends of the Syrian People” conference opens today in Morocco. Human Rights Watch has a report of the Syrian government using incendiary bombs on at least four occasions since mid-November in...

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11 Dec

The WTO General Council yesterday approved Tajikistan's accession package, opening the way for membership 30 days after ratification of the package by Tajikistan. The ACLU will file a petition this morning with the Inter-American Human Rights Commission over the treatment of Jose Padilla by the US government since his designation as 'enemy combatant' in 2001. Mali's Prime Minister resigned after the military arrested him for not...

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10 Dec

Today is International Human Rights Day;  64 years ago, the UN Declaration of Human Rights was signed. The Empire State Building in New York will be illuminated in blue today to honor the work of Human Rights Watch. Also today, and with the end of the year fast approaching, Amnesty International has released its year in human rights for 2012. The 18th...

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