Weekly News Recap (16 – 22 March 2026) © Photo by Swiveler via Flickr International Justice Section PCA: Hearings Begin in Rwanda’s Arbitration Proceedings Against UK Over Cancelled Migration Agreement...
Weekly News Recap (6 - 12 January 2025)
© Photo by IOM – UN Migration via Flickr
- ICJ: Ireland Intervenes in South Africa’s Genocide Case Against Israel
- France: Former President Sarkozy Faces Financial Crimes Trial
- Israel: Supreme Court Denies Release of Terrorist Remains For Burial
- ECtHR: Systematic Pushbacks of Refugees in Greece Violate Human Rights
- US: Alleged Yakuza Leader Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Traffic Nuclear Material from Myanmar
- Uganda: Human Rights Group Condemns Conviction of Human Rights Lawyer Without Fair Trial
- US: Supreme Court Rules to Progress with Sentencing in Trump’s Hush-Money Case
- Venezuela: Opposition Leader Arrested During Anti-Government Protests
International Peace & Security Section
Lebanon: UN and Lebanese Government Appeal for US$371 Million in Humanitarian Aid
Haiti: UN Reports Over 5,600 Killed in Gang Violence in 2024
Syria: IOM Appeals for US$73 Million to Assist People in Syria
US: US$500 Million Military Aid Package Announced for Ukraine
Ukraine: Russian Strike on Zaporizhzhia Kills 13 and Injures 110 Civilians
- Japan: Sanctions Imposed on Russia and Other Foreign Entities Regarding War in Ukraine
International Justice Section
ICJ: Ireland Intervenes in South Africa’s Genocide Case Against Israel
On 6 January 2025, Ireland submitted its intervention application in the ICJ case initiated by South Africa against Israel, which alleges violations of the Genocide Convention in Gaza. In its declaration, Ireland condemned Hamas’s 7 October 7 2023 attacks on Israel as acts of terror and breaches of international law, while urging the release of hostages. It also emphasised the universal importance of the Genocide Convention in protecting humanity’s core values. The case, filed by South Africa in December 2023, accuses Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Ireland’s intervention, under Article 63 of the ICJ Statute, focuses on interpreting key provisions of the Genocide Convention but does not make it a party to the proceedings. South Africa seeks provisional measures to protect Palestinian rights, while Ireland joins other states, including Colombia and Bolivia, in offering legal observations. The ICJ has invited South Africa and Israel to submit their views on Ireland’s intervention.
https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/case-related/192/192-20250107-pre-01-00-en.pdf
https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/07/middleeast/ireland-genocide-israel-icj-intl-latam/index.html
France: Former President Sarkozy Faces Financial Crimes Trial
On 6 January 2025, the French ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy appeared in front of the Paris Criminal Court among 7 other defendants. In total, 12 defendants were summoned for trial. Asides from the eight present in court, one defendant is deceased and another three are at large. This criminal trial involves alleged financial crimes as the French Public Prosecutor claims that Sarkozy’s campaign team received up to 50 million euros worth of illicit funds from former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi for Sarkozy’s 2007 presidential campaign. Under French law, campaign donations are limited to 21 million euros and candidates are prohibited from accepting funds from foreign governments or entities. Sarkozy has been involved in other legal cases, particularly a 2021 conviction for corruption. The Court of Cassation, France’s highest court of appeal, upheld his sentence of three years’ imprisonment (two years suspended) and one year of house arrest in December 2024. Sarkozy’s legal team has deemed these cases ‘judicial harassment’ and announced their intention to appeal in front of the European Court of Human Rights.
Israel: Supreme Court Denies Release of Terrorist Remains For Burial
On 7 January 2025, it was reported that the Supreme Court of Israel unanimously dismissed six petitions filed by the families of Palestinian citizens of Israel accused of terrorism, demanding the return of their relatives’ remains. Adalah, a legal centre representing Arab minority rights, argued that withholding the bodies violates the families’ rights to dignity and proper burial. The court ruled that it lacked jurisdiction as the bodies might be needed for future negotiations involving Israeli hostages held by Hamas, citing Regulation 133(3) of the Defense Regulations, which allows holding bodies for security reasons. Adalah criticised the decision, claiming it exploits deceased Palestinians for political leverage. The case highlighted tensions, especially with ongoing hostage situations involving Hamas, which has released propaganda videos of Israeli hostages, a practice condemned as a war crime by Human Rights Watch. This situation occurs in the broader context of hostilities and long-standing conflicts over the handling of remains.
ECtHR: Systematic Pushbacks of Refugees in Greece Violate Human Rights
On 7 January 2025, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled on two pushback cases against Greece, G.R.J. v. Greece and A.R.E. v. Greece (App Nos. 15067/21 and 15783/21). The G.R.J. case was found inadmissible due to a lack of evidence over the applicant’s pushback. However, NGOs are concerned that the evidentiary standard imposed on refugees, including the unaccompanied minor in G.R.J’s case, is an additional obstacle to accountability. It was established that G.R.J, an Afghan minor, was taken out of a Greek refugee camp and forced onto an inflatable raft, pushed into the Aegean sea by Greek officers. Yet the Court’s expectation that applicants gather sufficient evidence of covert state operations meant that this case was inadmissible. On the other hand, in A.R.E’s case, the Court found that there was a violation of the applicant’s right to be free from cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment protected under Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). This is based on how the applicant, a Turkish national, was unlawfully detained in Greece and then pushed back without sufficient assessment of the risk of harm to her upon her return to Türkiye. The Court also found that the unlawful detainment qualified as enforced disappearance. Additionally, the Court criticised the Greek legal system for not providing effective remedies to these violations.
https://www.echr.coe.int/w/rulings-concerning-greece
https://www.ecchr.eu/en/case/greece-before-the-european-court-of-human-rights/
US: Alleged Yakuza Leader Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Traffic Nuclear Material from Myanmar
On 8 January 2025, Takeshi Ebisawa, an alleged Yakuza crime syndicate leader, pleaded guilty in a US Federal Court in Manhattan, New York. His charges were conspiracy to traffic nuclear material, including uranium and weapons-grade plutonium, drug trafficking, and weapons trafficking. His organised criminal network traded these materials, with intention to sell, from Myanmar to other countries. Edward Y. Kim, the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, summarised his guilty plea to his actions as nuclear material trafficking and “[work] to send massive quantities of heroin and methamphetamine to the United States in exchange for heavy-duty weaponry such as surface-to-air missiles to be used on battlefields in Burma and laundered what he believed to be drug money from New York to Tokyo”. He credited this investigation to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Special Operations Division, the Southern District of New York’s national security prosecutors, and international law enforcement officers in Indonesia, Japan, and Thailand.
Uganda: Human Rights Group Condemns Conviction of Human Rights Lawyer Without Fair Trial
On 8 January 2025, it was reported that Amnesty International called upon Ugandan authorities to overturn the conviction of prominent human rights lawyer Eron Kiiza, sentenced to nine months in prison by a military tribunal for contempt of court without a formal trial on 7 January 2025. Kiiza was arrested after reportedly raising his voice in protest when denied access to a lawyer’s reserved space while representing opposition leader Kizza Besigye at a court hearing. Activists and rights groups have condemned the conviction, arguing it violates Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantees the right to a fair trial. Uganda is a party to the ICCPR. Kiiza has been a vocal advocate for human rights and environmental conservation, representing figures like activist Nicholas Opiyo. His efforts have earned him accolades, including nominations for the EU Human Rights Defender of the Year Award and recognition as Central Uganda Human Rights Defender of the Year. Besigye, a longtime opposition leader, was forcibly taken from Kenya in November 2024 and charged by Uganda’s military tribunal with unlawful possession of firearms, alongside fellow politician Obeid Lutale Kamulegeya.
US: Supreme Court Rules to Progress with Sentencing in Trump’s Hush-Money Case
On 9 January 2025, the US Supreme Court voted 5-4 to allow the sentencing of President-elect Donald Trump in the hush-money case to proceed. This follows Trump’s conviction of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records over efforts to hide hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. While other cases against Trump have been paused or withdrawn, the Supreme Court ruled that the likely sentence of an “unconditional discharge,” which adds a felony conviction without penalties, would not hinder his presidential transition. Trump’s two federal criminal cases have been halted following his November 2024 election victory. Georgia’s election interference case against Trump is in limbo due to a state appeals court disqualifying Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from the prosecution.
https://www.jurist.org/news/2025/01/us-supreme-court-refuses-to-halt-trump-sentencing/
Venezuela: Opposition Leader Arrested During Anti-Government Protests
On 9 January 2025, prominent Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado was arrested during an anti-government protest in Caracas, just one day before President Nicolás Maduro’s inauguration for a third term. Security forces reportedly intercepted Machado as she left the rally, escalating tensions by firing on her convoy. The arrest has sparked international condemnation, with Latin American leaders demanding her release. Machado’s detention comes amidst growing dissent against Maduro’s regime, following disputed elections in July 2024. Independent monitors supported opposition claims of electoral fraud, alleging their candidate, Edmundo González, won the majority vote. Under Maduro’s rule, widespread arrests and repression have forced opposition leaders into hiding. Machado’s public appearance marked a pivotal moment in rallying resistance against Maduro, whose administration faces accusations of authoritarianism and human rights abuses. Her arrest underscores the risks faced by Venezuelan opposition figures in a country mired in economic crisis, hyperinflation, and mass migration, as millions continue to call for justice and democratic reform.
International Peace & Security Section
South Korea: Protesters Gather Outside Residence of Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol Demanding His Arrest
On 6 January 2025, it was reported that amidst freezing temperatures and snowfall, hundreds of South Koreans gathered near the residence of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul on 5 January 2025, demanding his arrest. The National Assembly impeached Yoon with 204 votes, following his declaration of martial law on 3 December 2024. The Seoul Western District Court approved arrest and search warrants for Yoon on charges of insurrection and abuse of power, rejecting his objections to these warrants. With the arrest warrant’s validity expiring on 6 January 2025, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) is considering retrying the execution. The CIO has requested Acting President Choi Sang-mok to order compliance from the Presidential Security Service. A previous attempt on 3 January 2025 failed, and adverse weather delayed the next attempt until January 6. Around 40 members of the People Power Party (PPP) are expected to gather to block the arrest.
Congo: Rebels Seize Two Key Towns in Eastern Congo
On 6 January 2025, it was reported the M23 rebel group had gained control of two key towns in Eastern Congo. Over the past week, the M23 rebels have seized the towns of Katale and Masisi as they make advancements in the region. Masisi is a local administrative centre located about 80 km (49 miles) west of the regional capital of Goma. The M23 rebel group is one of many armed groups fighting for control over the mineral-rich territory of Eastern Congo near the Rwandan border. The conflict has resulted in a humanitarian crisis with more than seven million people displaced. Deputy for the Masisi Territory, Alexis Bahunga, confirmed Masisi was under the control of M23 rebels. He outlined the humanitarian situation is catastrophic, with people displaced throughout the territory now sheltering in camps. Rwanda is accused of backing the M23 rebels by both the UN and Congo, a claim they refute. In February, Rwanda admitted to having troops and missile systems in Eastern Congo to protect its security. The UN estimates Rwanda has up to 4,000 forces in Congo. In July 2024, Congo agreed a ceasefire with the M23 rebels, which came into effect in August 2024, but fighting has since resumed.
https://apnews.com/article/congo-rebels-m23-rwanda-015d9b587c9e5a5c5f1f4a3415e5a47d
Lebanon: UN and Lebanese Government Appeal for US$371 Million in Humanitarian Aid
On 7 January 2025, the UN and the Lebanese government launched an urgent appeal for US$371.4 million in humanitarian aid for civilians affected by the Israeli war and the country’s humanitarian crisis. The announcement is an extension of the emergency appeal for the next three months that will run from January to March 2025, and builds on the initial appeal launched in October to raise US$426 million. The financial aid will support essential areas such as food assistance, winter supplies, health care, water and education infrastructure. Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister, Saadeh Al-Shami, expressed the need to support the urgent humanitarian needs of people along with recovery planning efforts. He stated international support is critical to enhance and improve response efforts as the scale of the crisis exceeds the resources currently available. The UN humanitarian coordinator in Lebanon, Imran Riza, outlined the need for additional funding in order to “save lives and prevent further deterioration of an already dire situation.” More than 125,000 people remain displaced and face major challenges in rebuilding their lives. A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has been in place since 27 November 2024, ending a series of mutual attacks that intensified into a full-scale war in September 2024. The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that at least 4,063 people have been killed in the war, including women, children and health workers, with a further 16,664 people injured.
Haiti: UN Reports Over 5,600 Killed in Gang Violence in 2024
On 7 January 2025, the UN Human Rights Office reported that in 2024 at least 5,601 people were killed in Haiti in gang violence, an increase of over 1,000 on the figures from 2023. An additional 2,212 people were injured with 1,494 kidnapped. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, stated “these figures alone cannot capture the absolute horrors being perpetrated in Haiti, but they show the unremitting violence to which people are being subjected.” In one of the deadliest incidents of 2024, at least 207 people were killed in a massacre committed by the Wharf Jérémie gang in the Cité Soleil area of Port-au-Prince. Furthermore, the UN reported at least 315 lynchings of suspected gang members or people allegedly connected to gangs, which were on some occasions facilitated by Haitian police officers, and 281 people killed by specialised police units in alleged summary executions. Turk stated, “it has been long clear that impunity for human rights violations and abuses, as well as corruption, remain prevalent in Haiti.” Turk highlighted the need for additional efforts from the authorities and the backing of the international community to address the root causes of the crisis. He stressed the importance of restoring the rule of law in Haiti and outlined the need to support the Multinational Security Support mission with the logistical and financial support required to implement the operation successfully. Tusk expressed the need to enforce the Security Council’s sanctions and arms embargo to prevent weapons and ammunition from entering the country. Turk stressed the serious insecurity and human rights crisis in the country does not allow for the safe return of Haitians, however, deportations are continuing. Tusk reiterated his appeal to all States not to forcibly return people to Haiti.
Iran: UN Reports Over 900 People Executed in 2024
On 7 January 2025, the UN Human Rights Office reported 901 people were executed in Iran last year, including 31 women. Most of the executions were for drug-related offences, but it also included political dissidents and people connected to the 2022 mass protests over the death of 22-year-old women in police custody. The number of executions recorded in 2024 is the highest in nine years, and a 6% increase from 2023, when 853 people were executed. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, said “it is deeply disturbing that yet again we see an increase in the number of people subjected to the death penalty in Iran year-on-year.” Turk called on Iran to cease further executions and to place a moratorium on the use of the death penalty with a view to fully abolishing it. UN rights office spokesperson, Liz Throssell, outlined in a press briefing that at least 31 women were executed in 2024, the highest number in at least 15 years. Some of the women were convicted of murdering their husbands to resist rape or after being forced into marriage. Throssell stated one of the women executed had killed her husband to prevent him from raping her daughter. A report from Hengaw, a Kurdish human rights group, found that more than half of those executed last year were from ethnic minorities, including 183 Kurds. In August 2024, the UN reported that ethnic and religious minorities had been disproportionately targeted by the Iranian government since a crackdown on opponents began in 2022 following the outbreak of protests in response to the death of a young Kurdish woman who was imprisoned by morality police for not wearing a “proper” hijab. According to Amnesty International, Iran accounted for 74% of recorded executions globally in 2023. However, the figures do not include China, where data on the death penalty was classified.
Chad: 19 People Killed in Attack on Presidential Palace
On 8 January 2025, a group of assailants attacked the presidential palace in Chad’s capital on Wednesday, aiming to destabilise the government. Chad’s foreign minister, Abderaman Koulamallah, reported that 19 people, including 18 attackers and one soldier, were killed. The attackers, armed with knives, were neutralised by security forces, and six individuals were arrested, though their motives remain unclear as investigations continue. The attack followed a visit from China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who discussed enhancing diplomatic and economic ties with Chad. The country, led by President Mahamat Déby since 2021, has a history of instability and recently ended a defence cooperation agreement with France. Roads around the palace were blocked, and armed police were deployed as citizens fled the area.
https://www.jurist.org/news/2025/01/attack-on-chad-presidential-compound-repelled-by-state-forces/
Syria: IOM Appeals for US$73 Million to Assist People in Syria
On 9 January 2025, International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced it is expanding its appeal for Syria to US$73.2 million to support more than 1.1 million people in the country over the next six months. This comes as Syria enters a period of transition following the fall of the Bashar Al-Assad regime. IOM Director General, Amy Pope, stated “IOM is committed to helping the people of Syria at this historical moment as the nation recovers from nearly 14 years of conflict.” The nationwide appeal is an expansion of the previous US$30 million appeal issued in December 2024, aimed at providing people in Northwest Syria with winter supplies. The new appeal comes as the IOM is reestablishing its presence in Syria to provide urgent assistance to vulnerable communities. The IOM outlined the funds will go towards essential relief items and financial supports, shelter, water, sanitation, hygiene, and health care. It will also be used to provide early recovery support to people displaced or preparing to relocate and those arriving in new communities. According to the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), by the end of 2024 nearly 500,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) returned to Northwest Syria.
https://www.iom.int/news/iom-appeals-usd-73-million-it-expands-its-presence-inside-syria
US: US$500 Million Military Aid Package Announced for Ukraine
On 9 January 2025, the US announced it would give US$500 million in military aid to Ukraine. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin made the announcement at a summit in Germany’s Ramstein air base. The military package will include air defence missiles and F-16 fighter jets. This will be Ukraine’s final instalment of military support from the Biden administration as Donald Trump returns to the White House in January 2025. This aid package is part of the US’s strategy to strengthen Ukraine’s position before the presidential change. Trump has been critical of the US’s backing of Ukraine, with the US providing Ukraine with US$65 billion in military support since the war began. US President Joe Biden was due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a final face-to-face meeting in Rome on Friday, but the White House announced the trip was cancelled to focus on the wildfire disaster in California. The latest military aid package was announced at the 57-nation Ukraine Defence Contact Group, who have backed Ukraine with more than US$125 billion in military support. Within the coalition there is a leadership group which comprises eight “capability coalitions” with roadmaps extending to 2027 to help support Ukraine’s military into the future. But the plans now face an uncertain future as Trump returns to the White House. It is reported the Biden administration’s aim has been to reinforce Ukraine’s position in advance of potential negotiations with Russia that could happen in 2025.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/09/biden-administration-ukraine-military-aid
Ukraine: Russian Strike on Zaporizhzhia Kills 13 and Injures 110 Civilians
On 9 January 2025, Russian strikes on the city of Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine caused the highest number of civilian deaths in a single incident in almost two years, when 13 civilians were killed and 110 injured by two aerial bombs struck. The attack took place at an industrial facility in the southern city, when many workers were leaving work at the end of their shift. Both employees and passersby were killed or injured in the street or on public transportation. This marks the largest number of deaths the UN recorded since a residential building in Dnipro city was struck on 14 January 2023, and the deadliest since a supermarket in Kostiantynivka, was hit on 9 August 2024, creating a spike in deaths and a rising threat to civilians.
Japan: Sanctions Imposed on Russia and Other Foreign Entities Regarding War in Ukraine
On 10 January 2025, the Japanese government introduced new sanctions against Russia and other entities in response to the ongoing war in Ukraine. These sanctions, under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act, aim to strengthen international efforts for peace. The measures include freezing the assets of 11 individuals, 29 entities, and four banks, including three Russian and one Georgian. Prominent individuals affected include leaders from major Russian corporations like Rostec and Alrosa. Japan also sanctioned a North Korean national linked to the Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation. The sanctions extend to export bans on items that could enhance Russian industrial capacities, affecting 22 Russian companies and entities from several countries, including China and Turkey. These actions are part of broader efforts to isolate Russia economically, in line with sanctions from the EU, US, and UK. The EU also announced new restrictions and financial support for Ukraine, aiming to weaken Russia’s economy and bolster Ukraine’s resilience.
https://www.mofa.go.jp/erp/c_see/ua/pageite_000001_00740.html
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