Author: Jurist

Africa
Sudan

Sudan: US holds RSF responsible for ‘genocide’

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared that Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias have committed genocide during the country’s ongoing civil war. This would mark the second genocide Sudan has seen in less than three decades, following the Darfur genocide of the early 2000s. Blinken’s statement outlined atrocities perpetrated by the RSF, including ethnically targeted massacres of men, boys and infants, as well as widespread sexual violence inflicted upon women and girls. In tandem with the genocide determination, the US imposed sanctions on RSF leader Mohammad Hamdan Daglo Mousa, also known as Hemedti, and seven RSF-linked companies based in the UAE. Hemedti, a former leader of the Janjaweed militia responsible for the Darfur genocide, faces visa restrictions barring him and his immediate family from entering the US. The sanctions also target the RSF’s alleged smuggling of gold to fund operations. (Map: PCL)

Afghanistan
refugees

Pakistan court halts forced repatriation of Afghan musicians

The Peshawar High Court issued an interim order preventing the forced repatriation of around 150 Afghan singers and musicians who fled to Pakistan after the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Justice Wiqar Ahmad, who presided over the case, instructed the government to issue a decision on the musicians’ asylum applications within two months. The court said that if the asylum claims are not resolved within 60 days, the interior ministry should grant permission for the petitioners to stay for a period sufficient to reach a final decision. The court also allowed the musicians to apply to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to process their asylum claims. The musicians filed their petition last year, citing fears of persecution under the Taliban, who banned music and suppressed artists during their first period in power from 1996 to 2001. (Photo: VOA via Wikimedia Commons)

Watching the Shadows
server

Appeals court overturns net neutrality rules

The US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) did not have legal authority when it reinstated net neutrality rules last May, striking a blow to President Joe Biden’s telecommunications policy. Net neutrality is the idea that internet service providers (ISPs) must provide access to all content without favoring or blocking particular websites or services. In May, the FCC voted to classify ISPs as “telecommunications services” as opposed to “information services,” thereby subjecting them to net neutrality rules. Several telecommunications companies challenged the decision. The Sixth Circuit found that ISPs are information services and thus net neutrality rules do not apply. In doing so, it applied the US Supreme Court’s decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo Secretary of Commerce, which abolished the deference afforded to administrative bodies in interpreting their enabling statutes. (Photo:  via Flickr)

Central Asia
Hulunbuir

PRC: blogger detained for reporting land seizures

Reporters Without Borders called on the Chinese government to immediately release Liu Hanbin, a blogger who was detained following his publication of information regarding a protest against forced land seizures. Liu, who blogs under the name Wen Yi Fan, was taken into custody after he posted a video on social media platform WeChat reporting on a protest by farmers in a rural area of Inner Mongolia province against land confiscations by government officials. The protest was met with a swift response from local authorities, leading to Liu’s arrest. The 52-year-old blogger has been charged with “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” an offense punishable by up to five years in prison. (Photo of Hulunbuir Grasslands, Inner Mongolia. Credit: Sergio Tittarini via Wikimedia Commons)

Watching the Shadows
Guantanamo

US transfers 11 Guantánamo detainees to Oman

The US Department of Defense (DoD) announced the transfer of 11 Yemeni detainees from Guantanamo Bay prison to Oman, marking a significant step in reducing the population of the detention facility. The DoD stated that the Periodic Review Board (PRB) “determined by consensus” that the detention of the Yemeni prisoners under the law of war was no longer necessary as the prisoners did not continue to pose a significant national security threat. With this transfer, the DoD reduced the number of detainees at Guantanamo Bay by more than half, leaving only 15 in the detention center. (Photo: Gino Reyes/Wikimedia Commons)

Iran
Iran protest

Executions of women in Iran hit record high

The monitoring group Iran Human Rights reported that at least 31 women were executed in the country in 2024, which marks the highest annual toll since the group began tracking executions in the Islamic Republic 17 years ago. The report found that between 2010 and 2024, at least 241 women were executed in Iran. Approximately 70% of them were accused of killing their male partners, often in the context of an abusive marriage, including child brides. However, Iran’s judiciary does not recognize mitigating circumstances such as spousal abuse or marital rape under sharia law. Furthermore, Iran’s practice of qisas (retributive justice) allows the victim’s family to demand either execution, forgiveness or diyya (blood money). The doctrine has contributed to the surge in the execution of women. Total executions in Iran last year surpassed 900, also marking a record. (Photo of Melbourne protest in support of Iranian women: Matt Hrkac/Flickr)

North America
rig

Biden extends bans on offshore drilling

President Joe Biden issued two memoranda to prohibit new offshore drilling within three ocean and coastal regions, compromising over 625 million acres. One of the memoranda withdraws the entire eastern US Atlantic coast and eastern Gulf of Mexico as well as the continental Pacific Coast. The other provides the withdrawal of certain portions of the Northern Bering Sea in Alaska. According to the White House press release, the withdrawals in these regions are aimed at protecting “coastal communities, marine ecosystems, and local economies—including fishing, recreation, and tourism—from oil spills and other impacts of offshore drilling.” President-elect Donald Trump quickly commented that Biden’s action is “ridiculous” and promised to “unban it immediately.” Trump’s selected White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, characterized the memoranda as “political revenge on the American people who gave President Trump a mandate to increase drilling and lower gas prices.” (Photo: Berardo62 via Wikimedia Commons)

Europe
Kyiv

Ukraine becomes state party to Rome Statute

Ukraine became the 125th state party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). With ratification of the Rome Statute, Ukraine gains full participation rights within the ICC framework, which includes the power to refer cases to the Court. Moreover, the ratification strengthens Ukraine’s ability to prosecute international crimes domestically, aligning its legal system with international standards. Ukraine, however, invoked a transitional provision that limits ICC jurisdiction over war crimes committed by its nationals for seven years, raising concerns about potential selective justice and access to accountability for victims. (Photo: nextvoyage via JURIST)

Watching the Shadows
Gitmo

US transfers Guantánamo detainee to Tunisia

The Pentagon announced that the US has repatriated Guantánamo prisoner Ridah bin Saleh al-Yazidi to Tunisia after more than two decades in detention. His transfer was delayed by years due to political instability in Tunisia, where he has been convicted in absentia by a military anti-terrorism tribunal. Of the 12 Tunisians who have been detained at Guantánamo, al-Yazidi, 59, was the only one still held there, with the others having been transferred to Tunisia or to third countries. There now remain 26 prisoners at the Guantánamo facility. (Photo: Spc. Cody Black/WikiMedia via Jurist)

Palestine
Gaza

UN experts see ‘potential genocide’ in Gaza

A group of UN human rights experts called for Israel to face immediate accountability and consequences for systemic violations of international law. As the armed assault on Gaza and forced displacement of its population continues unabated, the UN experts warned: “We cannot afford to lose the force of the multilateral system.” They called for full-scale investigation and an end to impunity in a case of “potential genocide.” They called on all states to “take immediate action to hold Israel accountable for its actions and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice… Only through accountability can the rule of law be upheld and human rights protected.” (Photo: Gloucester2Gaza via Wikimedia Commons)

Mexico
corn

Trade panel strikes down Mexico GMO corn ban

A trade dispute panel convened under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) ruled that Mexico’s import restrictions on US genetically modified corn violates the accord. The conflict stems from a presidential decree published by Mexico in February 2023 instating an immediate ban on the use of genetically modified corn in dough and tortillas, and a gradual end to its use in animal feed and other products. The panel determined that the ban was not based on science, and contravened the market access required under the USMCA. However, advocacy groups such as Greenpeace are proponents of the corn decree and implored the US to respect Mexico’s sovereignty, arguing that market dominance of patented GMO varieties leads to the decline of indigenous strains and threatens food security. (Photo of indigenous Mexican corn varieties: Feria de Productores via Earth@Home)

Palestine
BP

BP accused of Gaza war crimes complicity

A group of Palestinian-British individuals took initial steps to bring British Petroleum (BP) to court, accusing the company of aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. The action led by Bimdman’s LLP asserts BP’s complicity through the continuous supply of crude oil to Israel, facilitated by the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) Pipeline, amid ongoing military operations in Gaza since October 2023. The claimants, backed by the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP), aim to hold BP responsible for their suffering and press for the company’s immediate cessation of activities they say expedite the conflict. (Photo: Fossil Free London via MEMO)