One year ago today, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was detained in Russia. His arrest came amid a broader media crackdown and surging suspicion of the West, both of which have loomed heavily amid Moscow’s ongoing war against Ukraine. On this grim anniversary, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken implored Russia to release Gershkovich [...]
A report submitted to the UN Human Rights Council this week shines a distressing light on the catastrophic human toll and the systematic destruction in Gaza following military operations by Israel. In the report, entitled Anatomy of a Genocide, Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, detailed the toll of the staggering loss of life, [...]
The US prides itself on being a nation built on freedom, justice, and individual rights. And yet the evolution of its system of mass incarceration — a system that cannot be defined without reference to shocking racial disparities — seems to directly contradict these founding principles. The US prison population dwarfs those of nearly every other [...]
The US Supreme Court hears arguments Tuesday in a case concerning the authorization and regulation of the abortion pill mifepristone at a time when reproductive rights are at the heart of political division and changing policies across the nation. At the center of the case is the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine’s lawsuit against the Food [...]
In a significant move towards bolstering the United Kingdom’s commitment to preventing and responding to genocide and other atrocity crimes, Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws has introduced the Genocide (Prevention and Response) Bill into the House of Lords. With its second reading on March 22, the bill promises to formalise and strengthen mechanisms for monitoring atrocity [...]
In recent days, an unusual state border-security law has ricocheted back and forth between US federal courts, introducing novel questions of state and federal supremacy. Long disgruntled over the federal government’s perceived inadequate efforts to curb illegal immigration along its southern border, Texas enacted a state law that would enable it to take action in [...]
The ongoing conflict engulfing Israel and Palestine continues to raise significant issues of international law and policy. My earlier contribution focused on the jurisdiction and substantive law of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Here I address the ongoing litigation before the International Court of Justice (ICJ or Court). Because the crime of genocide can be [...]
Dr. Asaf Lubin, an Associate Professor of Law at Indiana University Maurer School of Law, brings extensive expertise in international law, cybersecurity, and information warfare. With affiliations at Harvard University’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, Yale Law School’s Information Society Project, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Federmann Cyber Security Research Center, he [...]
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 [...]
Bob Rae, Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nations, does not shy away from tough questions. Though many in a position such as his might shy away from argument, Rae seems to relish the opportunity to engage in some intellectual sparring. It was in this context that I requested an interview as Canada grapples with multiple [...]