A federal US judge issued a default judgement against Khalifia Haftar, finding him liable for war crimes. Judge Leonie Brinkema's judgement paves the way for families in three separate civil suits to seek monetary compensation. The families filed their lawsuits under the Torture Victim Protection Act of 1991, a law that allows non-US citizens to seek compensation from individuals who, acting in an official capacity for any foreign nation, allegedly committed torture or extrajudicial killing. Haftar, a US citizen who had been a Virginia resident for decades, unsuccessfully tried to have the...
The South African government has called for Israel to be declared an 'apartheid state', following its continued occupation of Palestinian territories. The South African government expressed concerns that Israel continued occupation of "significant portions of the West Bank" and the developments of new settlements there "are glaring examples of violations of international law". “The Palestinian narrative evokes experiences of South Africa’s own history of racial segregation and oppression,” Naledi Pandor, South Africa’s minister of international relations and cooperation, said at the second...
The Nepali government's bill to amend its current transitional justice laws will not fully provide justice to victims or meet Nepal's obligations under international law, says human rights groups. Several Human rights organisations have called for the amendment of the proposed bill by the Nepali government. Successive Nepali governments have stalled the transitional justice process since 2015 , when Nepal’s Supreme Court ruled that the current law fails to meet Nepal’s domestic and international legal obligations on several grounds, including that it empowers the two transitional justice...
Pope Francis apologised and asked for forgiveness from survivors of Canada's church-run schools, with commentators noting it did not go far enough to address historic abuses. During his tour of Canada, touted as his "pilgrimage of penance" the widely anticipated apology was received during a visit to the community of Maskwacis, Alberta. “ I am sorry. I ask for forgiveness, in particular, for the ways in which many members of the church and of religious communities cooperated, not least through their indifference, in projects of cultural destruction and forced assimilation promoted by the...
Kyaw Min Yu (L) Phyo Zeya Thaw (R) Myanmar's military junta execution of four democracy activists,has drawn widespread condemnation, marking the country's first execution in decades. The four activists were sentenceto death in secretive trials held in Januaray and April, the men were accused of helping a civilian resistance movement that has fought the military since last years coup and bloody crackdown on nationwide protests. Among those executed were democracy campaigner Kyaw Min Yu, better known as Jimmy, and former lawmaker and hip-hop artist Phyo Zeya Thaw, an ally of ousted leader Aung...
The international court of justice has rejected Myanmar’s attempts to obstruct a case raised by Gambia, alleging the country of “[...] mass murder, rape, and destruction of communities in Rakhine state.”
Nine tourists were killed following a shelling attack on a water park near the Kurdish City of Zakho with the Iraqi government holding Turkey responsible. The Iraqi government has accused Turkish forces of an attack on its citizens in a resort near the Kurdish city of Zakho (Southern Kurdistan). Turkey denied it had launched strikes against civilians and instead claimed that the Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK), was responsible. Iraq’s prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, received some of the bodies at Baghdad airport as anger mounted in the Iraqi capital and in Karbala, the Shia shrine city in...
Soldiers in the Myanmar military have admitted to carrying out atrocities involving rape, torture and massacres of civilians, in interviews given to the BBC. The testimony of 6 soldiers including a corporal, who have recently defected and are under the protection of the People's Defence Force (PDF), gives an insight into the military crackdown on those fighting to restore democracy. Last year the military seized power from the democratically elected government led by Aung San Su Kyi in a coup, and is set on crushing the armed civilian uprising. The soldiers admitted to burning houses,...
The former prime minister of Japan Shinzo Abe was shot dead whilst giving a speech in the city of Nara earlier this morning. A 41-year-old man was arrested by Japan’s security services at the scene of the murder, where Abe was delivering a speech. Video footage at the time shows gunshots being fired and the suspect apprehended with what appears to be a home-made gun. According to local reports, several possible explosive devices have since been recovered from the suspect’s home, who is said to be a former member of Japan's Maritime Self-Defence Force. See more live coverage from the BBC here...
The European Union (EU) has resumed funding of two prominent Palestinian organisations after a year-long suspension, following unfounded "terror" allegations made by Israel. The European Commission sent letters several days ago to Al-Haq and the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), informing them that their 13-month-long suspensions were lifted unconditionally and with immediate effect. According to information provided to Al Jazeera, the emails were sent soon after Al-Haq had launched legal proceedings against the Commission. Al-Haq said in a statement last Thursday that more than 13...