The lead prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has announced that he is seeking arrest warrants for Benjamin #Netanyahu and Yahya #Sinwar, along with senior figures of their respective regimes, for the commission of #WarCrimes and #CrimesAgainstHumanity.
Amidst the predictable performative outrage from the US political elite, one fact is barely reported upon: the US is amongst a handful of nations that does not recognise the #ICC, and has on its books a 2002 law (colloquially dubbed 'the Hague Invasion Act') threatening war upon the #Netherlands (!) should any US citizen (or the citizen of any US ally) be brought for trial before the ICC.
Given the fact that the #US routinely fails to follow its own laws, let alone #InternationalLaw, when it comes to war crimes and crimes against humanity, the chances of an actual US invasion of the European lowlands is scant. Nonetheless, the rogue nature of #USexceptionalism is the always the elephant in the room when it comes to all discussions of accountability for the most egregious crimes of #geopolitics.
"International law tends to be poorly understood, even among lawyers. But it retains an aura among laymen which frequently leads to its invocation as a form of higher law, though often in a severely mangled form. Recent events such as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza have made the problem even more acute, so that it may be useful to provide here a short primer of some of its salient features."
"“What is happening here is so off-the-charts egregious that there is no other reading of the law: We have to cease weapons transfers to Israel.”
The letter also calls on Garland to investigate the thousands of U.S. citizens currently serving in the Israel Defense Forces for potential war crimes."
The #Biden admin has concluded it is “reasonable to assess” that #Israel’s military campaign in #Gaza has violated #InternationalLaw, but has not found specific instances that would justify the withholding of #military aid, #State Dept told #Congress Fri.
"Israeli officials fear potential ICC prosecution over #Gaza actions. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned top officials of possible arrest warrants, although the ICC has not confirmed issuing any. What would #ICC arrest warrants mean for #Israel's #WarOnGaza – and for #InternationalLaw?"
w/
Mark Kersten, Asst Prof of Criminal Justice, Univ of the Fraser Valley
"Sadly, #GuineaBissau has allowed itself to become complicit in Israel’s deliberate #starvation, #illegalSiege and genocide of Palestinians in #Gaza. @israel is showing the world the extent to which it will go to deny Palestinians the aid they need to stay alive, in direct contravention of International #HumanitarianLaw, #UN Security Council resolutions, and two orders of the International Court of Justice #ICC@cij_icj . Israel is only allowed to get away with this because we have an international order where law does not apply equally, where people are not valued the same, and where might equals right. The US has hijacked #internationalLaw and is violating its own laws to protect Israel at every turn. A recently-leaked #USAID memo states that ' #famine in Gaza is inevitable,' and that 'changes could reduce but not stop widespread #civiliandeaths.' It also states that the government of Israel does not currently demonstrate necessary compliance with #USlaw required to receive #USmilitary aid. Nevertheless, last week, the #USCongress passed and Biden signed a $26 billion aid package for Israel. It is this kind of naked impunity, over decades, that has brought us to this point where Israel can carry out a #genocide "
online Gaza-Krieg, Völkerrecht und regionale Eskalationsgefahr
02.05.2024 ab 18:00 Uhr (CEST)
Referenten sind Norman Paech, emeritierter Professor für Öffentliches Recht an der Universität Hamburg und Wiebke Diehl, Autorin und Journalistin. Die Moderation übernimmt Jutta Kausch-Henken.
"Mit dem #Webinar wollen wir nach den Ostermärschen die Lage und die weiteren Perspektiven analysieren und Schlussfolgerungen für die #Friedensbewegung ziehen."
Warrants could be issued this week against Netanyahu, Defense Minister #YoavGallant and army chief #HerzlHalevi. Some legal experts say the attorney general and army lawyers are partly to blame for not doing enough to prevent Israeli violations of #InternationalLaw
A civil trial against a US defense contractor accused of engaging in and directing abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq began Monday in Alexandria, Virginia, two decades after revelations of horrific torture first surfaced.
I don’t not support the attention placed on scrutinising the question of ‘Statehood’ and Pope as ‘Head of State.
The precedence this would set against Nation-states in a more precarious position of statehood would make the legal question serious irresponsible. There’s also, the question of jurisdiction in such a claim. Australia would have no means of binding the ruling without taking it to the International court.
@luciedigitalni the thought amuses me, but I’m thinking along the lines that the operation of the Catholic Church in Australia has no direct relevance to the Vatican state and its diplomactic activities in representing the people of the Vatican.
So Immunity doesn’t even matter. 🤷🏻
The recent Shergill v Suri would be relevant here in separating ‘the Diplomat’ and ‘the Individual, Business associate/Employer’. #AusLaw#InternationalLaw
Three former Supreme Court Judges, 600 legal experts, 60 KC’s say selling #arms to #Israel puts the UK in “potential violations of the Genocide Convention".
Over 600 lawyers, academics & Retd. senior judges including 3 former supreme court justices, as well as the court’s former President Lady Hale, have warned
Sunak that his government is breaching #internationallaw by continuing to arm Israel
Australia’s Opposition Party stepping up to bat for Israel, despite the complete lack of reports and evidence being provided by Israel on UNRWA and WCK
Australia has seen hundreds and thousands of Australian medical professionals, aid workers, journalists navigate war zones and conflicts in an effort to save foreign and Australian lives, minimise the horrors of conflict, and shine light on the truth.
… and our opposition party has the gall to piss on that historic legacy and be an apologist for crimes against humanity by calling attacks on protected persons a mere case of ‘tragedies and mistakes’.
A leaked recording shows that the British government has received advice from its own lawyers stating that Israel has breached international humanitarian law in Gaza, but has failed to make it public.
The comments were made by the Conservative chair of the House of Commons select committee on foreign affairs, Alicia Kearns, at a Tory fundraising event on 13 March.
Ex-Foreign Office and Ministry of Defence official #AliciaKearns, chair of the House of Commons [#SelectCommitteeOnForeignAffairs] said at a Tory fundraiser that legal advice would mean the UK has to cease all #ArmsSales to Israel without delay
Two decades after Abu Ghraib scandal, three detainees get their day in US court (edition.cnn.com)
A civil trial against a US defense contractor accused of engaging in and directing abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq began Monday in Alexandria, Virginia, two decades after revelations of horrific torture first surfaced.