Opinio Juris weekday news wrap w11/13

Weekday News Wrap: Friday, March 15, 2013

by Jessica Dorsey

French President Hollande has joined the UK’s David Cameron in calling on the EU to lift the arms embargo on Syria, to enable them to arm the rebels.
Israel’s military intelligence chief has warned against arming the rebels and has claimed that Iran is sponsoring a Hezbollah-run “people’s army” of 50,000 to fight in Syria on the side of the government forces.
The UK’s Justice Secretary wants to attract more “forum shoppers” to the UK and actively promote (commercial) legal services as an important UK export industry.
The United Nations expert on torture has called on the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to investigate the practice of solitary confinement and its harmful effects in the Americas, and asked for stronger regulation of its use.
The ECHR Blog points readers to new and updated fact-sheets at the Court.
In other news at the ECHR, the Court upheld (.pdf) The Pirate Bay co-founders’ criminal conviction for aiding copyright infringement on the Internet, declaring the application inadmissible.
The head of the UNDP, Helen Clark, has said there is increasing evidence to show that the US-led “war on drugs” has failed, often “creating more problems than it solves.”
The meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora was by many accounts a success, with a pledge from Thailand to end its domestic ivory trade and a historic agreement to restrict the commercial trade in sharks and manta rays.
Egypt’s ruling Muslim Brotherhood warns that a U.N. declaration on the status of women could destroy society by allowing a woman to travel, work and use contraception without her husband’s approval and letting her control family spending.

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Weekday News Wrap: Thursday, March 14, 2013

by Jessica Dorsey

In testimony to Congress, US groups have complained about protectionist policies in India.
The US has asked Ukraine not to renegotiate its WTO commitments, worrying that it might inspire other WTO members to do the same.
President Obama has appointed Deborah Jones as the next US ambassador to Libya.
India’s Supreme Court has issued a notice to Italy’s ambassador barring him from leaving India without its permission, after he had personally assured that the Italian marines wanted for trial over the shooting of two Indian fishermen would return to India.
Ieng Sary, the former Foreign Minister during Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge regime, has died before his trial at the ECCC was completed.
Xi Jinping has been formally appointed as China’s new President.
The PKK has released eight hostages in a bid for peace with the Turkish government.
The Dutch have raised the terrorism alert level for the first time in history to “substantial” based on a number of Islamist militants traveling from the Netherlands to Syria and claims of radicalization of Dutch youth.
Iran has increased its weapons supply to Syrian government forces, according to Western diplomats.
A former Argentinian general, Reynaldo Bignone, was sentenced to life in prison yesterday, being convicted of crimes against humanity in the nation’s “Dirty War” from 1976-1983.
The CIA has ratcheted up covert efforts in Iraq to counter Al-Qaeda.
EJIL: Talk! has a post analyzing the recently released second part of the Turkel Commission Report and the duty of investigation by armed forces.
Justice in Conflict offers some thoughts about whether Canada is trying to undermine the ICC with its recent statements regarding Palestine.
Lawfare points to a recent statement by UK Home Secretary Theresa May stating that the UK ought to think about parting ways with the ECHR.

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Weekday News Wrap: Wednesday, March 13, 2013

by Jessica Dorsey

The US Air Force has stopped releasing statistical data on drone strikes in Afghanistan and has erased previoiusly published statistics from its website.
The UK warned Argentina that it would always be ready to defend its citizens on the Falkland Islands after they voted nearly unanimously to remain British.
Iran plans to “sue Hollywood” about the Oscar-winning film Argo, which Iran claims has an “unrealistic portrayal” of the country and the hostage crisis of 1979.
Suspected Islamists stormed a school in Kano, Nigeria, opening fire and wounding four teachers.
A recent World Bank report (.pdf) has said that Israel’s checkpoints and delays in transferring money are causing “lasting damage” to the Palestinian economy.
North Korea has confirmed that it considers the 1953 armistice agreement with South Korea to be null and void.
UK Prime Minister Cameron has indicated that the UK could decide to arm Syrian rebels, and would if necessary veto the extension of the EU arms embargo.
Save The Children, a London-based NGO, has issued a report (.pdf) outlining that children in Syria are being raped, shot at and tortured.
India has summoned the Italian ambassador after Italy decided that two Italian marines did not have to return to India to stand trial over the shooting of Indian fishermen who they mistook for pirates.
In testimony to Congress, the head of Cyber Command stated that the US has teams that could launch a counter-cyberattack if the US were the subject of a cyberattack.
TPP negotiators have concluded the 16th round of negotations in Singapore, a lot of work still remains and it is unlikely that Japan will be able to join the negotiations in time for the next round in Peru.
The EU has finalized the text to “stop the clock” on the inclusion of aviation in its ETS, to allow for negotiations within the ICAO to bear fruit.
Justice in Conflict has a post with some praise for ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda in the wake of a tumultuous week at the Court.

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Weekday News Wrap: Tuesday, March 12, 2013

by Jessica Dorsey

The ICC has dropped the charges against Francis Muthaura, Uhuru Kenyatta’s co-accused, because of issues with procuring evidence and witness testimony.
Twelve more bodies have been fished out of the river near Aleppo in Syria, bringing the total body count to well over 80, many with bullet wounds to the head.
An African Union-brokered deal has re-opened the oil trade between Sudan and South Sudan, a year after trade was stopped.
Approximately 99% of those who voted in the Falkland Islands referendum wish to remain British citizens, a strong message to Argentina, which claims the islands as its territory.
The US Treasury has imposed new sanctions on North Korea’s Foreign Trade Bank in response to recent nuclear threats.
North Korea has derided the formation of a “Commission of Inquiry” by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate potential human rights abuses, calling it a “plot” against their nation filled with “faked material … invented by the hostile forces, defectors and other rabbles.”
A British judge has delayed the decision on Islamic Cleric Abu Qatada’s deportation until the end of this month.
The Volokh Conspiracy has a post about ICC jurisdiction over Israeli settlements.
Foreign Policy weighs in on drones and reports that not only do more countries have access to them, they’re becoming smaller and smarter.

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