© Photo by Hikaru Kazushime via Flickr
- ICJ: South Africa Files Genocide Charges Against Israel
- Turkey: Hundreds Detained Amid Counter-Espionage Investigation
- Bosnia: Court Initiates Legal Proceedings for 1992 Vlasenica Attack
- USA: Lawyer Tom Girardi Declared Fit for the Case of Alleged Fraud
- Serbia: Court Modifies Prison Term of Former Bosnian Serb Army Soldier
- USA: Trump Appeals to Supreme Court Over Eligibility Ruling
- Senegal: Supreme Court Upholds Sentence Against Ousmane Sonko
- USA: Former Colorado Police Officer Receives 14-Month Sentence in Elijah McClain’s 2019 Killing
INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY SECTION
- Japan: 7.6 Magnitude Earthquake Kills More than 100
- South Korea: Opposition Leader Stabbed
- Pakistan: Gunmen Kill 6 Near Afghan Border
- Lebanon: Senior Hamas Official Killed in Beirut Drone Strike
- Russia & Ukraine: Post Successful Mediation by UAE, Russia and Ukraine Exchange POWs
- Darien Gap: Panama Releases Figures Highlighting Half a Million People Crossed the Dangerous Jungle Route in 2023 Alone
- Iran: Islamic State Claims Responsibility for Twin Bombings on Memorial Crowd in Iran
- Nepal: Government Bans Citizens from Working in Russia and Ukraine After Death of 10 Men with Dozen Missing while Fighting
- Israel & Palestine: UN Humanitarian Chief Describes Gaza as “Uninhabitable” as War Intensifies
INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE SECTION
ICJ: South Africa Files Genocide Charges Against Israel
On 2 January 2024, South Africa has filed a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Israel of committing genocide through its military campaign in Gaza. The case revolves around the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, claiming that Israel’s actions aim to destroy a substantial part of the Palestinian population. South Africa seeks legally binding rulings from the ICJ, including a declaration that Israel breached the Genocide Convention, an order to cease hostilities in Gaza, reparations, and reconstruction efforts. Israel rejects the genocide claim, calling it baseless and an exploitation of the court. The court will schedule public hearings, and the case is expected to last for years, involving a process of considering the full case, potential challenges to jurisdiction, and submissions from other signatory countries of the genocide convention.
Turkey: Hundreds Detained Amid Counter-Espionage Investigation
On 2 January 2024, Turkey captured 33 people suspected of spying for Israel, with an ongoing search for 13 more people tied to Israel’s Mossad security service. The prisoners were arrested in raids in Istanbul and seven other provinces as part of a strategy to conduct investigation and target foreign nationals in Turkey. The Turkish Interior Minister, Ali Yerlikaya, emphasised the Turkish government’s commitment to combating espionage against national unity. Tensions between Turkey and Israel rose during the Israel-Hamas conflict, resulting in the deterioration of diplomatic relations established in 2022. President Erdogan has warned of dire consequences if Israel attacks Hamas officials on Turkish soil. The current arrests coincide with a string of detentions by Turkish security services, including roughly 500 persons suspected of having ties to ISIS, presumably in connection with New Year’s Eve festivities and forthcoming local elections.
Bosnia: Court Initiates Legal Proceedings for 1992 Vlasenica Attack
On 3 January 2024, the Bosnian state prosecution has brought charges against Zivojin Majstorovic, Radenko Dubocanin, and Radoslav Savic, accusing them of committing a crime against humanity in a June 1992 attack in Vlasenica, resulting in the deaths of 25 civilians. The indictment alleges that, armed with automatic weapons, the wartime Serb fighters participated in an assault on the village of Durici and surrounding Bosniak settlements. The victims, including women, a minor, and an elderly person, were reportedly robbed, and some men disappeared after being separated from women and children. Concurrently, the prosecution announced charges against individuals involved in wartime activities, including six former Bosnian Serb Army officers implicated in genocide, a Bosnian Army military police commander accused of crimes against prisoners of war, and five Serbs charged with attacking the Croatian-populated village of Brisevo, resulting in 61 deaths, rapes, and detentions. All indictments await confirmation by the state court.
https://balkaninsight.com/2024/01/03/bosnia-issues-flurry-of-new-year-war-crimes-indictments/
USA: Lawyer Tom Girardi Declared Fit for the Case of Alleged Fraud
On 3 January 2024, a Federal Judge in Los Angeles determined that disbarred California lawyer Tom Girardi is mentally competent to stand trial for the alleged embezzlement of millions from clients. The ruling, issued under seal by US District Judge Josephine Staton, states that Girardi is fit to face the criminal charges of taking over $18 million from his law firm’s clients. Girardi, who pleaded not guilty, has claimed to suffer from dementia, causing memory loss and unawareness of his disbarment and unpaid client debts. Competency hearings were held in August and September. Girardi, once a prominent plaintiffs’ lawyer and estranged husband of Real Housewives star Erika Jayne Girardi, faces wire fraud and contempt charges in Los Angeles and Chicago. His Chicago case awaits the outcome of the Los Angeles competency proceedings. The government questions the timing of Girardi’s mental incompetence claims, given their emergence shortly after accusations of embezzlement surfaced in December 2020. No trial date has been set yet.
Serbia: Court Modifies Prison Term of Former Bosnian Serb Army Soldier
On 4 January 2024, the Belgrade Court of Appeal reduced the prison sentence for former Bosnian Serb Army soldier Dalibor Krstovic from nine to five years. He was convicted of crimes against the civilian population, specifically for raping a Bosnian woman in Kalinovik in August 1992. The appeal verdict, following a retrial, was announced on Friday. The court cited mitigating factors, including Krstovic’s personal and family circumstances, lack of prior convictions, and his age, 20, at the time of the crime. However, aggravating factors such as his persistence during the coercion of the victim and the severity of the threat were also considered. The court deemed the sentence proportionate to the gravity of the crime and the defendant’s criminal responsibility, fulfilling the purpose of punishment. This decision comes after the Belgrade Higher Court initially sentenced Krstovic to nine years in February 2023, following a retrial prompted by the quashing of the first-instance verdict in February 2022. The original accusation against Krstovic in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2017 was later transferred to Serbian authorities. The current verdict is considered to be final.
https://balkaninsight.com/2024/01/04/serbian-court-cuts-jail-sentence-for-wartime-rape-in-bosnia/
USA: Trump Appeals to Supreme Court Over Eligibility Ruling
On 4 January 2024, Donald Trump’s legal team formally asked the US Supreme Court to overturn a Colorado ruling that deemed him ineligible for the presidency due to his involvement in the 6 January Capitol attack. The Colorado decision, affecting his 2024 ballot appearance, has triggered more than a dozen similar cases nationwide. Trump’s attorneys argue that the eligibility issue should be under Congress’s jurisdiction, not state courts, and claim his actions don’t fall under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. The Supreme Court, yet to address Section 3, faces a case with political ramifications. The court will also examine Trump’s “immunity” regarding attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Pending appeal, the Colorado ruling’s impact on Trump’s primary ballot presence awaits resolution, echoing similar challenges in Maine.
Senegal: Supreme Court Upholds Sentence Against Ousmane Sonko
On 5 January 2024, Senegal’s Supreme Court rejected opposition politician Ousmane Sonko’s appeal against his defamation conviction, jeopardising his eligibility to run in the upcoming presidential elections. The court upheld a six-month suspended sentence, prohibiting Sonko from participating in the election scheduled for 25 February. Sonko, who filed his candidacy while in custody, has been facing legal challenges, including charges of libel and rape, which he denies. Despite the setback, Sonko’s legal team remains determined to continue the fight. The opposition leader, popular among the youth, asserts that the charges are politically motivated attempts to undermine his candidacy. The electoral commission is set to finalise the list of presidential candidates by January 20.
USA: Former Colorado Police Officer Receives 14-Month Sentence in Elijah McClain’s 2019 Killing
On 6 January 2024, a former Colorado police officer, Randy Roedema, was sentenced to 14 months in jail for his involvement in the 2019 killing of Elijah McClain. McClain was subjected to rough restraint and injected with a powerful sedative by paramedics despite not being suspected of any crime. McClain’s mother condemned Roedema, stating he “stole my son’s life” and criticised the sentence as a “slap on the wrist.” Roedema was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault, while another officer, Jason Rosenblatt, was acquitted in the joint trial. McClain, 23, was confronted by police after a 911 call about his suspicious behaviour. The initial autopsy deemed the cause of death “undetermined,” but a revised report in 2021 attributed it to “complications of ketamine administration following forcible restraint.” Two paramedics were recently convicted of criminally negligent homicide for injecting McClain with an overdose of ketamine. The case gained attention after the 2020 killing of George Floyd, prompting a state investigation resulting in charges in 2021.
INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY SECTION
Japan: 7.6 Magnitude Earthquake Kills More than 100
On 1 January 2024, a powerful earthquake struck central Japan with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6. The quake, which occurred in the afternoon, resulted in collapsed buildings and power outages for tens of thousands of homes and prompted coastal residents to seek higher ground due to 1-meter waves along Japan’s western seaboard and in South Korea. Rescue operations were underway, with the military aiding efforts, and a local airport was closed due to runway damage caused by the quake. On 6 January 2024, the death toll crossed 100, with more than 200 people still missing.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/6/japan-earthquake-death-toll-crosses-100
South Korea: Opposition Leader Stabbed
On 2 January 2024, Lee Jae-myung, the leader of South Korea’s main opposition party, the Liberal Democratic Party, was stabbed in the neck in Busan by a 66-year-old man who approached him for an autograph. The incident occurred after Lee had finished answering questions from journalists while touring a planned airport site. The assailant was detained, and police are investigating for attempted murder. Lee was taken to a hospital in Busan and later flown to Seoul National University Hospital for treatment. After a two-hour surgery to remove blood clots and repair a damaged jugular vein, Lee was reported to be conscious and recovering. The attacker, disguised as a supporter with a paper or plastic crown bearing “I am Lee Jae-myung,” approached him asking for an autograph before stabbing him with a five-inch blade. Lee, narrowly defeated in the 2022 presidential election, faced investigations and protests against corruption charges. His opponent, Yoon Suk Yeol, expressed deep concern, calling for a swift investigation. South Korea’s politics have become polarised, with the incident prompting heightened security measures for politicians. The Democratic Party labelled the stabbing as an “act of terror” and an “attack against democracy.”
Pakistan: Gunmen Kill 6 Near Afghan Border
On 2 January 2023, unidentified gunmen killed six barbers in the town of Mir Ali in Pakistan’s northwest, a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban near the Afghanistan border. The incident occurred before dawn, and no group immediately claimed responsibility. Mir Ali, located in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, had previously served as a base for the Pakistani Taliban until the military cleared the area. The slain men, all working at different barbershops, shocked the community, and locals expressed their dismay. Pakistan has experienced numerous militant attacks in the region, where authorities frequently target Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hideouts to prevent the group from regaining strength. The TTP, distinct from the Afghan Taliban but closely allied, had previously imposed bans on beard trimming and Western-style haircuts in the area. The attack comes amid ongoing security challenges in the region, with militants targeting civilians and security forces.
Lebanon: Senior Hamas Official Killed in Beirut Drone Strike
On 2 January 2024, senior Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri, along with two leaders of Hamas’ armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, were reportedly killed in an Israeli drone strike in Beirut’s southern suburb of Dahiyeh. The attack, described by Hamas as a “treacherous Zionist strike” and a “cowardly assassination,” claimed the lives of at least six people, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency, and was attributed to an Israeli drone. Saleh al-Arouri, a senior figure in Hamas’s politburo, was heavily involved in the group’s military affairs and had previously led its activities in the occupied West Bank. Hamas vowed that the killing would not undermine its resistance efforts in Gaza, where it is engaged in conflict with Israeli forces. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the killing, expressing concern about potential escalations and attempts to draw Lebanon into confrontations with Israel. Iran, supporting both Hamas and Hezbollah, condemned the attack and predicted that it would fuel resistance against Israel. Israeli officials did not claim responsibility, but Mark Regev, an adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, referred to it as a “surgical strike against the Hamas leadership.” The incident marks a dangerous escalation occurring in Hezbollah’s operational zone, and there are concerns about possible repercussions and further hostilities.
Russia & Ukraine: Post Successful Mediation by UAE, Russia and Ukraine Exchange POWs
On 3 January 2024, Reuters reported that Russia and Ukraine announced their first exchange of prisoners of war (POWs) in nearly five months, and more than 200 POWs had been freed to each side. According to Russia’s Defence Ministry, 248 military personnel were handed over by Ukraine, while Ukraine stated that it had brought back 230 people home, among which six were civilians. Through the mediation efforts of the United Arab Emirates, the swap was made possible, with the UAE ministry acknowledging its “strong, friendly relations” with both countries. Many prisoner swaps have been held since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but the rate of exchanges had dropped in 2023, with the last one being in August. Kyrylo Bidanov, head of Ukraine’s UR Military Intelligence Agency, highlighted UAE’s “direct role” in the prisoner swap, stating that “after a significant amount of time”, the swap had been carried out.
Darien Gap: Panama Releases Figures Highlighting Half a Million People Crossed the Dangerous Jungle Route in 2023 Alone
On 3 January 2024, the Panama government released new figures highlighting that a record 520 000 people crossed the treacherous Darien Gap migration route in 2023 alone, which is reported to be double the number recorded in 2022. According to the numbers released by Panama’s migration agency, the people who made the dangerous journey are mostly people from Venezuela, Ecuador, Haiti and China. According to Samira Gozaine, the head of the agency, a quarter of the people who crossed the jungle were minors. She further stated that it was a “national security problem”, and there was no “quick solution” to resolve it. According to UN figures, the main cause of the situation has been the economic and social collapse of Venezuela, as more than seven million Venezuelans have fled the country.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/03/record-half-million-people-crossed-darien-gap-2023
Iran: Islamic State Claims Responsibility for Twin Bombings on Memorial Crowd in Iran
On 4 January 2024, it was reported that the Islamic State (ISIL) claimed responsibility for the attack on a crowd on 3 January in Southern Iran, which marked the death anniversary of senior Revolutionary Guard commander Qassem Suleimani. According to reports, more than 100 people have died in the two blasts that ripped through the crowd near Suleimaini’s tomb in the city of Kerman. Iran stated a day after the attack that it had been increasing security along its border with Pakistan and Afghanistan as it suspected that the attack was the work of an Islamic State affiliate. The UN Security Council, in a statement, condemned the attack and described it as a “cowardly terrorist attack”. Early responses to the attack by Iran had pointed fingers at the US and Israel, with the US rejecting the same and Israel declining to comment on it. Mohammad Mokhber, Iran’s first vice president, told reporters that those responsible for the attack would “receive a very strong retaliatory action.”
Nepal: Government Bans Citizens from Working in Russia and Ukraine After Death of 10 Men with Dozen Missing while Fighting
On 5 January 2024, the Guardian reported that Nepal had banned its citizens from travelling to Russia or Ukraine for employment after ten young men had been killed. Dozens more had been reported as missing while fighting in the Russian military. According to Nepal’s foreign ministry, more than 200 Nepali soldiers are believed to have been enlisted in the Russian army, while 100 of them have gone missing since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. According to Kabiraj Upreti, a director at the Department of Foreign Employment, work permits for Russia and Ukraine have been halted temporarily until arrangements are made to minimise the potential risks and losses to Nepali nationals entering conflict-ridden countries. The decision by the Nepali government came a day after Vladimir Putin signed a decree which would expedite the process of citizenship for hundreds of foreigners who have enlisted in the Russian army and also provide additional incentives to fight.
Israel & Palestine: UN Humanitarian Chief Describes Gaza as “Uninhabitable” as War Intensifies
On 5 January 2024, Martin Griffiths, the UN humanitarian chief, described Gaza as “uninhabitable” while further warning that famine and a public health crisis were around the corner. He highlighted that tens of thousands of people have been killed or injured, and 2.3 million people are facing “threats to their very existence”. He also urged that the humanitarian community faced an “impossible mission” while assisting more than 2 million people. He reiterated the UN Security Council’s demand for an immediate end to the war and urged that all apprise must meet their obligations under international law. He also highlighted that it was the highest level of food insecurity ever being witnessed globally. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reported that the lives of over 1.1 million children in the Gaza Strip are facing triple threats of intensifying conflict, rising malnutrition and disease.
https://www.voanews.com/a/un-aid-chief-gaza-war-must-end-/7428567.html
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/05/un-warns-gaza-is-now-uninhabitable-as-war-continues