The Supreme Federal Court of Brazil (STF) disclosed Friday the testimonies of two former high-ranking military officials who said that former president Jair Bolsonaro summoned them to discuss a potential coup to remain in power after losing the 2022 presidential elections to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The testimonies of Marco Antonio Freire Gomes, a [...]
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CIVICUS 2024 Report Highlights Civil Society and Global Rule of Law in Crisis
Civil society is facing unprecedented challenges globally due to escalating conflicts and crises. In 2023, groups that were pivotal in advocating for human rights, offering humanitarian aid and giving a voice to the marginalized encountered increasing difficulties. Their work has become more challenging due to growing repression and conflict, yet they remain beacons of hope [...]
UN report urges immediate action as Syria confronts escalating violence
The UN Syria Commission of Inquiry released a report Monday concerning the most severe escalation of violence in the country since 2020. Explosions during a military academy graduation ceremony in Homs triggered the escalation, which began in October, leading to a series of indiscriminate attacks by Syrian and Russian forces on opposition-held areas. The commission [...]
Lessons from Oppenheimer: The Imperative of Nuclear Conflict Avoidance
“Where there were great military actions, there lies whitening now the jawbone of an ass.” Saint-John Perse (French poet, 1887-1975) As film, the core importance of “Oppenheimer” lies in its messages on human survival. The personal, emotional and romantic aspects of the film are captivating, to be sure, but they are less consequential than any [...]
UK announces new sanctions targeting Myanmar military entities
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) announced Thursday further sanctions on Myanmar over ongoing human rights violations. This round of sanctions targeted military-linked entities “involved in the repression of the civilian population and serious human rights violations” in the Southeast Asian country. The British government previously imposed sanctions on 25 individuals and 33 [...]
Myanmar relying upon alternatives to sanctioned Western jet fuel: Amnesty International report
A new Amnesty International report showed on Wednesday the increasing limits of Western sanctions as Myanmar finds alternative to sanctioned American and European jet fuel. In spring of 2023, the US, UK, Canada, and the EU imposed sanctions on the importation of jet fuel by the central government in Naypyidaw. This was allegedly to prevent [...]
Civilization and Human 'Oneness' — Templates for a Viable System of International Law
“God loves from Whole to Part, but human soul Must rise from Individual to the Whole.” Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man Though poorly understood, humankind can survive on this planet only by embracing viable systems of international law. More than anything else, these world-centered legal systems must be founded upon axiomatic principles of human [...]
Argentina workers mount general strike against President Javier Milei's austerity measures
Millions of workers in Argentina have walked out after the country’s three major labor confederations—the General Confederation of Labor, the Argentine Workers’ Central Union and the Argentine Workers’ Central Union—called for a general strike against recently-elected President Javier Milei. The strike began on Wednesday in response to Milei’s proposed national legislative and economic reforms. The [...]
Explainer: The Israel-Hamas War and the International Criminal Court
The current conflict engulfing Israel and Palestine raises significant issues of international law and policy. This is part one in an anticipated two-part series that will discuss some of the relevant legal questions before the International Criminal Court (ICC; Part I) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ; Part II). With both courts located in [...]
Mengele-Like Logic Underpins Alabama’s Plan to Gas a Man to Death
Barring the unlikely success of last-minute litigation, today, at 6 p.m. CST, Kenneth Eugene Smith is scheduled to become the first person in history to be executed by forced nitrogen gas inhalation. In Smith’s final minutes, personnel at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama will strap an industrial-grade mask to his face. Secured [...]