Search: extraterritorial sanctions
18 May A Response to Brad Roth by Jean d’Aspremont
...argued elsewhere, and despite the fact that, in my view, coups d’etat can never be attributed to the states because authors of coups cannot be acting in the capacity of an organ of the state, one cannot turn a blind eye to the contemporary systematic practice whereby putschists almost always fail to secure recognition — unless they commit themselves to organize free and fair elections — and undergo a wide range of sanctions. Putschists most of the time fall short of being recognized and are subject to sanctions, but that...30 May Weekday News Wrap: Wednesday, May 30, 2012
...non grata. Interestingly, Belgium can’t expel the Syrian ambassador, because he is also ambassador to the EU and there is no agreement on diplomatic sanctions against Syria within the EU. Foreign Policy has more on what expelling a diplomat entails and the five worst atrocities of the Syrian uprising. Two Danish brothers of Somali origin have been arrested in Denmark connected with allegedly planning an al-Shebab terrorist plot. A former Rwandan school teacher living in Canada pleaded not guilty yesterday to involvement in the Rwandan Genocide; his charges are one...11 Mar The Recent Letter of John Kerry and its Impact on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)
...on the international plane may be categorized as a unilateral act.” Moreover, a unilateral declaration must be issued by authorized officials explicitly and publicly. As established in international law, foreign ministers’ statements, by virtue of their functions, may create obligations for their respective countries. The US Secretary of State has explicitly maintained in the letter that: “we remain fully committed to the sanctions lifting provided for under JCPOA.” Giving assurance to his Iranian counterpart, John Kerry affirmed the US intention to JCPOA commitments. In another part of the letter, he...
09 Jan The Occupied Palestinian Territories and the Responsibility to Protect (Part 2)
...of Genocide; (c) Cease aiding or assisting in the commission of violations of international law, including by reviewing all relationships with Israel, such as trade, aid and assistance and arms transfers, and ending direct and indirect financial support for illegal settlements, including through tax-deductible donations; (d) Conduct investigations under domestic law or universal jurisdiction to hold accountable the perpetrators of crimes under international law, grave human rights violations and abuses in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including those identified in the present report, including through criminal prosecutions and sanctions....
23 Mar Symposium on Prosecuting Heads of State for International Crimes: Will X Ever Stand Trial?
...of genocide in Darfur in the early 2000s, he is still in a cell in Khartoum, and there seems to be no path towards his transfer. Existing examples of prosecutions against high-level officials include, as has been a matter of increasingly loud critique over the years, no officials from powerful Western states. Those being prosecuted were the opponents, the weak, the losers. They were never Westerners, never Europeans, Americans or Australians. That is the underlying issue of the current backlash by several powerful states, including U.S. sanctions which have debilitating...
04 Feb A Reminder of the Importance of the Crime of Aggression: Considering the Situation of Russia and Ukraine
...exception. While there are informal ways to try to “enforce” international law, for example, through economic sanctions, a cursory glance at the situation of Crimea, a victim of earlier Russian annexation, reveals that sanctions are not always capable of changing state behavior. While the crime of aggression (i.e., “crimes against peace”) were prosecuted already in 1945-46 before the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, the crime was added late to the International Criminal Court’s Rome Statute, in negotiations held after the Court was already operational and able to prosecute its other...19 Apr Weekday News Wrap: Thursday, April 19, 2012
UN is examining claims that China broke sanctions against North Korea. South Sudan has become the International Monetary Fund’s 188th member. Sudan has threatened war against South Sudan. Spain wants the EU to file a World Trade Organization (WTO) complaint against Argentina for nationalizing 51% of Spain’s Repsol’s stake in oil company YPF. The US has condemned the nationalization. Colombia has sent a letter to the WTO complaining about Argentina’s import restrictions. The ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo is in Libya to investigate war crimes. The UK is chairing a conference...
13 Aug Emerging Voices: Momentum Builds for Mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence
...it is conducted? Or is it to hold companies accountable for human rights abuses? This is where opinions diverge. Unsurprisingly, businesses want assurances that being more transparent about their human rights risks won’t increase the risk of litigation. Conversely, civil society is concerned that mHRDD legislation should have some “teeth”, and include meaningful sanctions for non-compliance and/or provide a remedy for victims. Navigating these competing demands represents a challenge for legislators. France and the Netherlands have adopted different approaches. Under the French law, a company may be ordered to remedy...
09 Aug “All Our Hope Is in the Famine”: Why an Investigation into Starvation Crimes in Ukraine Is Urgently Needed
...of agricultural facilities are directly linked to possible war crimes, other tactics are disguised, e.g. promises to unblock ports and allow grain export from Ukraine in exchange for lifting sanctions imposed on Russia, which would inevitably feed its war machine. The immediate consequences of Russia’s conduct are both internal and external. In Ukraine, while the number of starvation-related casualties is yet to be established, about 10.2 million residents urgently need food and livelihood assistance. The population of a once food-secure country and major grain exporter has, thus, been forced to...