Toronto police announce investigation of synagogue vandalism amid rise in antisemitic hate
Toronto police announced Sunday that they are investigating two “suspected hate motivated mischief” incidents, after rocks were thrown through the windows of two synagogues in Canada’s largest city early Sunday morning. Criminal mischief is the willful destruction or damage of property. Under Canada’s Criminal Code, mischief relating to religious property that is “motivated by bias, [...]
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Sunday that it took control of two settlements located in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region. In a brief daily update on Telegram, the Ministry announced the capture of Spirne and Novoaleksandrovka, which the Russian government recognizes as part of the Donetsk People’s Republic. Ukraine’s military has not confirmed this [...]
Montenegro’s Special State Prosecutor’s Office ordered an investigation into former special chief prosecutor of for war crimes against Croatian civilians in the Cavat area in 1992 and during the break up former Yugoslavia, according to local media reports on Thursday. The Special State Prosecutor’s Office (SDT) arrested Katnic on April 14, accusing him of inhumane [...]
UN Secretary-General names challenges for atrocity crime prevention
The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a report Thursday detailing challenges for the responsibility to protect (R2P) amid an increasing disregard of international human law and international human rights law by both state and non-state actors. The concept of R2P was adopted by the General Assembly in 2005, so the next year will mark the [...]
Here, the author Pitasanna Shanmugathas a graduate from Vermont Law looks at the reprisals faced by prominent whistleblowers in the wake of Julian Assange’s release, and the threat whistleblower prosecutions raise to media freedom and the principles of transparency and accountability in government… The release of Julian Assange after years of legal battles highlights the [...]
Thailand must investigate Malay Muslim human rights defender's death: Amnesty International
Amnesty International on Wednesday called for an immediate investigation into the death of Malay Muslim human rights defender Roning Dolah, who was fatally shot in Thailand on Tuesday night. Human Rights Watch also added its voice to the call for accountability. Roning was stationed in Pattani as a coordinator working with Duay Jai Group, providing [...]
ICC convicts 'Islamic Police' chief Al Hassan of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Mali
The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday convicted Al-Qaida-linked militant leader Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud of war crimes and crimes against humanity for his alleged role in terrorizing the civilian population of the Malian city of Timbuktu. The case centered on the 2012-2013 northern Mali conflict, which began with an [...]
The UN and Proportionality: In War, Shoot First and Ask No Questions
In early June, Israel carried out a daring rescue, freeing four hostages who had been taken and held for eight months by Hamas and, in flagrant violation of international law, embedding the hostages within families in housing full of civilians, including many children—also a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and the laws of war. All major news [...]
Assange pleads guilty to one count of US espionage, walks free
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange pleaded guilty in a remote US court on Wednesday to one count of conspiracy for releasing troves of US classified documents via WikiLeaks. The Australian national was released with time served. He had spent the past five years in a UK prison, where he had been battling extradition requests from the US. For [...]
ECHR finds Russia liable for multiple human rights violations in Crimea since 2014
The European Court of Human Rights unanimously found Tuesday that Russia was guilty of a pattern of human rights violations since 2014 in Crimea under the European Convention on Human Rights (Convention) and international humanitarian law, in its ruling on the case Ukraine v. Russia (re Crimea). These violations included ill-treatment, intimidation, disappearances, forced Russian [...]
