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Germany fights Gaza genocide claims at the top UN court

Germany fights Gaza genocide claims at the top UN court

Germany has told the United Nations’ top court that a genocide case over weapons sales to Israel was improperly filed by Nicaragua and should be thrown out

Germany Urges UN Court to Dismiss Nicaragua's Genocide Case Over Arms Sales to Israel

Germany Urges UN Court to Dismiss Nicaragua's Genocide Case Over Arms Sales to Israel

Germany has requested the United Nations' top court to dismiss a genocide case filed by Nicaragua, which accuses Berlin of facilitating genocide in Gaza by providing arms and military support to Israel. Germany's top lawyer, Julia Monar, argued that Nicaragua improperly filed the case, failing to provide adequate notification and sufficient time for a response before initiating proceedings. Another German lawyer, Antonios Tzanakopoulos, highlighted that Nicaragua's formal notification was sent from a Yahoo email address to a general inbox, rather than through proper diplomatic channels. Germany, a long-standing supporter of Israel and its second-largest arms supplier after the United States, asserts that it meticulously reviews all military equipment exports in accordance with international law. Monar stated that since 2024, Germany has not authorized any export of weapons of war to Israel that could be used in the Gaza conflict. This legal action by Nicaragua is part of broader efforts by countries with h...

Germany Seeks Dismissal of ICJ Genocide Case Over Arms Supplies to Israel

Germany Seeks Dismissal of ICJ Genocide Case Over Arms Supplies to Israel

Germany has formally requested the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to dismiss a case brought by Nicaragua, which accuses Germany of facilitating genocide in Gaza through its military support for Israel. During Monday's session at The Hague, Germany's legal representative, Julia Monar, argued that Nicaragua failed to establish a legal dispute before initiating proceedings in March 2024 and that parts of the case fall outside the court’s jurisdiction. Monar stated that Nicaragua was not interested in Germany's perspective but rather in bringing the case before the court. Germany is Israel's second-largest arms supplier after the United States. Berlin also contended that Nicaragua did not properly notify it of the allegations or allow sufficient time for a response before filing the case. These hearings address Germany’s preliminary objections to the court’s jurisdiction and the admissibility of Nicaragua’s claims, not the merits of whether Germany breached international law.

Body of war criminal Mladic lies in state in Serbian capital ahead of funeral

Body of war criminal Mladic lies in state in Serbian capital ahead of funeral

The body of Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serb commander who died while serving a life sentence for war crimes, lay in state on Monday

UN Expert Warns Israeli Rubble Clearance in Gaza May Destroy Atrocity Evidence and Prevent Human Remains Recovery

UN Expert Warns Israeli Rubble Clearance in Gaza May Destroy Atrocity Evidence and Prevent Human Remains Recovery

A United Nations expert, Francesca Albanese, has issued a warning that Israel's ongoing clearance of rubble in Gaza could lead to the destruction of crucial evidence related to "atrocity crimes" and hinder efforts to recover human remains. Following the October 2023 Hamas raid into Israel, the Israeli assault on Gaza has resulted in approximately 61 million tons of wreckage and debris, which the UN estimates could take seven years to clear. Albanese, the UN expert on Palestinian territories, emphasized that evidence should be collected and human remains identified before comprehensive clearance operations commence. She stated that the rubble in Gaza is not merely construction waste but constitutes a crime scene, a graveyard, and a material record of the events during the two-year bombing campaign. Albanese also noted that multiple sources have indicated the involvement of Israeli companies in the clearance, though her office did not immediately provide details on these sources. Israeli officials have not y...

Nicaragua tells top UN court Germany is violating international law by selling weapons to Israel

Nicaragua tells top UN court Germany is violating international law by selling weapons to Israel

Nicaragua has accused Germany of breaching the Genocide Convention by selling weapons to Israel that were used in Gaza

International Crisis Group Analyst Highlights Child Recruitment in Yemen's Reignited War

International Crisis Group Analyst Highlights Child Recruitment in Yemen's Reignited War

Yemen is experiencing a new wave of child recruitment amidst its most intense fighting in years, according to Ahmed Nagi, a senior Yemen analyst at the International Crisis Group. The conflict, which has seen the internationally recognized government launch counterattacks against Houthi rebels, is leading to increased recruitment of minors. Abdulkarim, a 16-year-old in Sanaa, was offered a Kalashnikov, military training, and 50,000 Yemeni rials ($210) to join the front lines in Marib. While his father prevented him from going, 17-year-old Ahmed has been fighting with the Houthis in Hodeidah since May, with his father's approval due to the family's economic hardship. Tawfiq Al-Humaidi, head of SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties, notes that while the majority of child recruitment occurs in Houthi-controlled areas, other actors are also involved. SAM reported 11,310 child recruitment cases between 2014 and 2023 across 19 Yemeni governorates, including 6,269 children aged 8 to 11. The Houthis have previ...

UN Security Council Veto Power Undermines Enforcement of International Law, Creating 'Anomic Zones'

UN Security Council Veto Power Undermines Enforcement of International Law, Creating 'Anomic Zones'

The United Nations Security Council's (UNSC) veto power, held by its five permanent members (P5), is being criticized for rendering international legal norms ineffective, particularly in situations of mass atrocities. This mechanism, outlined in Article 27(3) of the UN Charter, allows any single P5 state to block enforcement actions, sanctions, or military interventions under Chapter VII. Critics argue that this power creates a 'legalized anomic zone,' where formally valid humanitarian norms lose their substantive force, leaving populations vulnerable. The ongoing situation in Gaza is cited as a prime example, where mass civilian casualties, contested humanitarian access, and Security Council paralysis highlight the limitations of the current international legal architecture. Civilian relief initiatives, such as maritime flotillas, are attempting to fill this enforcement gap, often coming into direct conflict with state authority.

Former Albanian Football Captain Lorik Cana Condemns Glorification of War Criminal Ratko Mladić

Former Albanian Football Captain Lorik Cana Condemns Glorification of War Criminal Ratko Mladić

Lorik Cana, the former captain of the Albanian national football team, has publicly expressed his sorrow and condemnation regarding a photograph circulating on social media. The image depicts a young girl touching a mural of Ratko Mladić, who has been convicted of genocide and war crimes. Cana stated that the photograph deeply saddens him, particularly because it involves a generation that did not experience the war but is being exposed to the glorification of an individual responsible for severe atrocities committed in Europe after World War II. His statement emphasizes the pain of seeing such figures celebrated, especially by younger generations. This comes amidst a trend of Mladić's glorification following his death and burial in Belgrade, with his image and messages appearing in football stadiums in Serbia and Republika Srpska.

Germany fights Gaza genocide claims at the UN’s top court

Germany fights Gaza genocide claims at the UN’s top court

Germany is challenging claims at the United Nations' top court that it is facilitating genocide in Gaza by supplying arms to Israel

Iraqi Jewish Family Sues France Over Embassy Use of Baghdad Mansion

Iraqi Jewish Family Sues France Over Embassy Use of Baghdad Mansion

A Jewish family of Iraqi origin has filed a civil lawsuit in Paris against the French government, seeking 21.5 million euros in compensation. The family alleges that France has used their ancestral mansion in Baghdad as its embassy for 50 years without payment, and that France cooperated in stripping them of their property rights. The property, known as Beit Lawee, was owned by brothers Ezra and Khedouri Lawee, who emigrated to Canada in the late 1940s. While the French ambassador initially leased the building from the Lawee brothers in 1964, payments ceased in 1974, with France instead transferring funds to Iraqi authorities. The French Foreign Ministry argues this was due to Iraqi legislation that stripped Jews who had left Iraq of their property. Attorneys Jean-Pierre Mignard and Imrane Ghermi contend that this 'dispossession of Jewish property was carried out with the cooperation of the Foreign Ministry' and was 'a unilateral measure of an antisemitic nature taken by the Iraqi authorities, which the Fr...

Sudan Accused of Secret Chemical Weapons Stockpile and Use Against Rebels

Sudan Accused of Secret Chemical Weapons Stockpile and Use Against Rebels

Sudan's authoritarian government allegedly developed a secret stockpile of chemical weapons and used chlorine bombs against rebel forces, according to internal videos, documents, and text messages reviewed by The Washington Post. The materials suggest Sudan's chemical weapons program involved diverting chlorine shipments intended for drinking water, concealing warhead production sites on military bases, and testing bombs in remote desert locations. The trove includes documents referring to 'dual-effect' munitions with 'choking gas,' videos of weapons tests producing yellow vapor, and messages indicating a stockpile of up to 290 chemical munitions. Western intelligence officials and chemical weapons experts consulted by The Post described the material as credible evidence of a chemical weapons program. Sudanese officials, including Gen. Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan, have denied developing or using chemical weapons. The alleged actions violate the Chemical Weapons Convention, which Sudan signed in 1999.