© Photo by Middle East Children’s Alliance via Flickr
International Peace & Security Section
Nigeria: 25 Schoolgirls Abducted in Kebbi Amid Renewed Fears Over Student Kidnappings
Mexico: President Sheinbaum Rejects Trump’s Suggestion of US Military Action on Mexican Cartels
Lebanon: At Least 13 Killed in Israeli Airstrike on Palestinian Refugee Camp
Kenya: Rights Group Reports Kenyan Authorities Paid Trolls to Threaten Young Protesters Online
Gaza: At Least 28 Palestinians Killed in Wave of Israeli Strikes
Pakistan: Security Forces Kill 23 Militants in Raid Near Afghan Border
Ukraine: US Pressures Kyiv to Accept Proposed 28-Point Peace Plan
China: Chinese Ships Reroute to Avoid Japanese Ports as Diplomatic Tensions Rise
ICC: Prosecutors Seek Life Sentence for Darfur Militia Leader Ali Kushayb Following Crimes Against Humanity Conviction
On 17 November 2025, the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) requested that Trial Chamber I impose a life sentence on Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb, following his conviction earlier this year for 27 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the Darfur conflict between 2003 and 2004. Prosecutors argued that the gravity of the offences – including murder, persecution, rape, pillage, attacks on civilians, and the destruction of property – warranted the Court’s highest possible penalty. They emphasised the scale of the violence, the vulnerability of the targeted non-Arab communities, and the crucial leadership role Kushayb played as a senior Janjaweed commander, directing and facilitating attacks that formed part of a widespread and systematic assault on civilian populations. The prosecution noted the lasting harm inflicted upon survivors, including displacement and enduring trauma, and maintained that no mitigating circumstances outweighed the severity of the crimes. Defence lawyers argued Kushayb was innocent and it was a case of mistaken identity. The defence has called for a maximum seven-year prison sentence, taken into account time already served, which could see Kushayb freed in months. Prosecutors argued this would be a disproportionately low sentence given the gravity of the crimes.
Germany: Trial Opens in Koblenz Over War Crimes Committed During Siege of Yarmouk
On 17 November 2025, it was reported the Higher Regional Court in Koblenz will open the trial on Wednesday (19 November) of five individuals accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the siege of Yarmouk, the former Palestinian refugee district in Damascus, Syria. The defendants, all Syrian nationals, are charged under Germany’s universal jurisdiction framework for alleged participation in starvation as a method of warfare, enforced disappearances, and attacks on civilians between 2013 and 2015. Prosecutors argue that the accused, linked to pro-Assad militias and security branches, contributed to the deliberate deprivation of food, water, and medical access to thousands of civilians trapped in the enclave, leading to widespread malnutrition and preventable deaths. The trial marks the first time an international court is examining starvation as a method of warfare as a primary charge, operationalising provisions of international humanitarian law long recognised but rarely litigated. Survivors and former residents of Yarmouk are appearing as joint plaintiffs, and German authorities continue to characterise the case as part of their broader effort to address grave crimes in Syria where domestic avenues for accountability are absent. Proceedings are expected to continue through late 2025, with the court’s findings anticipated to have wider implications for prosecuting siege-based violations under universal jurisdiction.
France: Rights Group Files Complaint Against Energy Company for Complicity in War Crimes in Mozambique
On 18 November 2025, it was reported French anti-terror prosecutors received a criminal complaint filed by a coalition led by the European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), alleging that TotalEnergies was complicit in war crimes, torture, and enforced disappearance committed in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province. The complaint argues that the company knowingly benefited from and contributed to abuses perpetrated by Mozambican security forces and private contractors tasked with protecting infrastructure linked to the liquefied natural gas project. Organisations supporting the complaint contend that civilians were subjected to arbitrary detention, ill-treatment, and unlawful killings in operations conducted near areas secured for the project. They argue that TotalEnergies continued operations despite documented patterns of violence, thereby creating legal exposure under French extraterritorial criminal jurisdiction. The case seeks to establish corporate accountability for alleged contributions to violations of international humanitarian law in conflict-affected resource zones. Prosecutors must now determine whether to open a formal judicial investigation, a step that would mark one of the most significant European inquiries into corporate complicity in wartime abuses in recent years.
Bangladesh: Former Prime Minister Given Death Sentence over 2024 Protest Crackdown
On 18 November 2025, it was reported Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death for crimes against humanity related to the brutal suppression of a student-led uprising in 2024. The tribunal determined that Hasina was responsible for authorising lethal operations that employed drones, helicopters, and heavy weaponry against protesters advocating for political reforms after her 15-year tenure. Prosecutors argued that her directives led to widespread killings, with estimated casualties ranging from 800 to over 1,400 deaths. Hasina was tried in absentia alongside former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, who also received a death sentence. Both fled to India last year, which has refused to extradite them. A former police chief who cooperated with prosecutors was sentenced to five years in prison. Hasina was also sentenced to imprisonment until natural death for incitement and for issuing extermination orders. Authorities anticipate that her legal team will lodge an appeal. Following the verdict, Hasina immediately denounced it as “biased and politically motivated.” The ruling, which comes just months before 2026 elections, prompted Bangladesh’s interim government to demand India “immediately hand over” the former premier, a request experts deem highly unlikely to be fulfilled, risking diplomatic strain between the two nations. The UN, while acknowledging the moment for victims, expressed regret over the use of the death penalty.
https://apnews.com/article/bangladesh-hasina-verdict-yunus-security-c1eec828e68460bae66824601a94eaca
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11/17/tension-high-as-bangladesh-tribunal-convicts-ex-pm-hasina
Argentina: Court Orders Seizure of Properties Tied to Former President Fernández de Kirchner Over Fraud Conviction
On 18 November 2025, an Argentine court ordered the seizure of 20 properties tied to former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and her family, stemming from her conviction for fraud related to a public-works scheme. This ruling is part of ongoing efforts to recover assets allegedly acquired through irregular contracting practices during her presidency, where prosecutors claim that certain favoured companies received inflated public construction contracts. Fernández, a prominent yet polarising figure in Argentine politics, has been under house arrest since June following her conviction and continues to contest the charges against her. This latest order coincides with her upcoming court appearance this month for a separate bribery trial, which involves allegations of a larger illicit payments network.
KSC: Court Upholds Continued Detention of Jakup Krasniqi in Periodic Review Decision
On 18 November 2025, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC) issued a periodic review decision confirming that former Kosovo Assembly Speaker Jakup Krasniqi will remain in detention pending trial. Krasniqi, charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the 1998–99 conflict, had argued that the passage of time and the evolution of proceedings justified conditional release. The Trial Chamber rejected the request, finding that the factors underpinning prior detention orders remained unchanged, including assessed risks of witness interference and flight. The judges held that continued detention was necessary to safeguard the integrity of the trial, which forms part of a broader case against former senior Kosovo Liberation Army figures. The Chamber reiterated that detention reviews are not an opportunity to reassess the merits of the charges but to evaluate whether circumstances warrant modification of custodial measures.
Netherlands: Prosecutors Request 20-Year Sentence for Eritrea–Libya Migrant Trafficking Suspect
On 19 November 2025, prosecutors at the District Court of Zwolle sought a 20-year prison sentence for Amanuel Walid, also known as Tewelde Goitom, who is accused of leading one of the most notorious migrant-trafficking networks operating out of Libya. Dutch investigators allege that between 2014 and 2019, Goitom’s group detained thousands of African migrants in makeshift warehouses, subjecting them to systematic beatings, starvation, and torture to force their families to pay ransoms. Several survivors have testified to the severe abuses experienced in Libya, including overcrowding, lack of medical care, and fatal mistreatment. One witness recounted being beaten with a water hose and witnessing other detainees die. Goitom, who was extradited to the Netherlands in 2022, denies the allegations and has largely chosen to remain silent during the proceedings. Defence lawyers argue that the case lacks a sufficient connection to the Netherlands, while prosecutors invoke provisions of universal jurisdiction. Closing arguments are set to continue next week, with a judgment anticipated in January 2026.
Namibia: Court Declines Bid to Add Germany to Genocide Reparations Case
On 19 November 2025, Namibia’s High Court denied an application to include Germany as a respondent in a lawsuit challenging the legality of the 2021 joint declaration concerning the genocide of the Ovaherero and Nama communities from 1904 to 1908. The plaintiffs, which include traditional authorities and political groups, contend that the declaration is unconstitutional because Parliament did not ratify it, fails to provide genuine reparations, and excludes meaningful consultation with the affected communities. While the agreement, in which Germany acknowledged the genocide of the Ovaherero and Nama communities during the colonial era and offered development assistance, has faced criticism for lacking formal reparations despite the severity of the historical crimes, the court allowed several traditional authorities to join the proceedings.
Nigeria: Separatist Leader Nnamdi Kanu Given Life Sentence on Terrorism Charges
On 20 November 2025, Nigeria’s Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu to life imprisonment after convicting him on seven terrorism-related charges associated with his leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Judge James Omotosho concluded that Kanu’s broadcasts and directives incited a series of deadly attacks against civilians and security personnel in the country’s southeastern region, where tensions over renewed calls for an independent Biafra have escalated. The court dismissed prosecution requests for the death penalty, citing international disapproval of capital punishment, but enforced additional concurrent sentences totalling 25 years. Kanu, who was controversially re-arrested in Kenya in 2021, consistently argued that his extradition violated due process and undermined the proceedings; he was removed from the courtroom after shouting protests. The long-running trial has heightened regional instability, and analysts warn that the ruling may exacerbate separatist grievances. Kanu has 90 days to file an appeal.
Nigeria: 25 Schoolgirls Abducted in Kebbi Amid Renewed Fears Over Student Kidnappings
On 17 November 2025, gunmen attacked a girls’ boarding school in Maga, northwestern Nigeria, abducting 25 students and killing at least one staff member, authorities said. The attackers, armed with “sophisticated weapons,” arrived on motorcycles, exchanged fire with guards and seized the girls from their dormitory. Police have since launched a search-and-rescue operation across nearby forests. UNICEF condemned the attack, stressing that classrooms must remain “places of safety, not fear,” and urged the immediate release of all abducted students. The agency noted that one girl reportedly escaped and another managed to flee during the incident, and reiterated that Nigeria’s endorsement of the Safe Schools Declaration obliges authorities to protect students and education facilities. No group has claimed responsibility, but the region has faced repeated kidnappings by armed groups who abduct students for ransom. More than 1,500 students have been taken since the 2014 Chibok abductions, when Boko Haram kidnapped 276 schoolgirls, triggering global outrage and ushering in a wave of abductions across Northern Nigeria.
https://apnews.com/article/nigeria-girls-abducted-school-9d288758bf1a57f3390c962f0a68596b
Mexico: President Sheinbaum Rejects Trump’s Suggestion of US Military Action on Mexican Cartels
On 18 November 2025, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum again ruled out any US military intervention on Mexican soil after US President Donald Trump suggested he might expand his anti-cartel campaign to land targets in Mexico. Sheinbaum said such action is “not going to happen,” stressing that Mexico accepts intelligence-sharing but will allow “no foreign intervention.” Her remarks followed Trump’s claim that he would consider strikes in Mexico, citing the ongoing US bombing campaign against alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, which has killed 83 people since September without definitive evidence linking victims to cartels. Since the start of his second term, Trump has increasingly framed cartels as “enemy combatants” and the US as being in a state of war, a position formalised in an October memo to Congress asserting a “non-international armed conflict” with Latin American cartels. He has also signed a secret order authorising military action, heightening concerns in Mexico, while declining to say whether he would seek Mexico’s permission for any strike. UN officials and legal experts have denounced the strikes as unlawful extrajudicial killings, and Sheinbaum reiterated that cooperation with Washington does not mean subordination.
Lebanon: At Least 13 Killed in Israeli Airstrike on Palestinian Refugee Camp
On 18 November 2025, an Israeli drone strike hit a car near a mosque in the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp, outside Sidon in southern Lebanon, killing at least 13 people and wounding four others, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health. Ain al-Hilweh is the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, where nearly 80,000 people live in an area of just 1.5 sq km. Israel said the attack targeted Hamas members allegedly operating in a training compound in the camp, a claim denied by Hamas, which called it a “fabrication” and described the strike as “barbaric aggression” against civilians and Lebanese sovereignty. Earlier the same day, several Israeli strikes were launched on vehicles in southern Lebanon, killing two more people. The strikes come amid near-daily Israeli attacks in violation of the US-brokered ceasefire with Hezbollah, signed in November 2024. The agreement stipulated, among other provisions, Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the cessation of military offensives. However, since the ceasefire, Lebanon’s Health Ministry has reported over 270 people killed and roughly 850 injured in Israeli actions, and Israeli forces have continued the occupation of at least five areas.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-strike-palestinian-refugee-camp-lebanon
Kenya: Rights Group Reports Kenyan Authorities Paid Trolls to Threaten Young Protesters Online
On 19 November 2025, a report by Amnesty International revealed that Kenyan authorities used a network of paid trolls to threaten and suppress young “Gen Z” activists involved in mass anti-government protests across 2024 and 2025. The human rights organization said government agencies employed surveillance and a coordinated disinformation campaign, primarily on social media, to “silence and suppress” the demonstrators. The report found that young women and LGBT+ activists were disproportionately targeted with misogynistic and homophobic abuse, including AI-generated pornographic images. One source claimed to be part of a team, known as “keyboard warriors,” paid up to 50,000 Kenyan shillings (US$390) per day to amplify pro-government messages and drown out protest hashtags. These digital tactics were paired with a brutal physical crackdown, where rights groups say more than 100 people were killed by police during the demonstrations against proposed tax rises, femicide, and corruption. Kenya’s Interior Minister, however, denied the findings, stating the government “does not sanction harassment or violence against any citizen.”
Gaza: At Least 28 Palestinians Killed in Wave of Israeli Strikes
On 19 November 2025, Israel launched strikes on the Gaza Strip, killing at least 28 Palestinians and injuring over 77 people, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza. The latest attack is one of the largest breaches of the US-brokered ceasefire that came into effect last month. The Israeli military stated that the strikes on “Hamas targets” across the strip were in response to its troops coming under fire in Khan Younis, a city in the south of the territory. Hamas rejected this claim, calling it “a flimsy and transparent attempt to justify its crimes and violations” in Gaza. The attacks targeted al-Mawasi, an area near Khan Younis, as well as a junction in Gaza City where many displaced Palestinian families live, killing at least 10 people, including an entire family. The strikes in Gaza coincided with Israeli attacks in Lebanon, which have escalated since Israel bombed a Palestinian refugee camp that killed 13 people just a day earlier. It also follows the adoption of a UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution supporting the US President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, which includes the deployment of a “international stabilising force” and the creation of a “board of peace” to oversee governance in Gaza. This would require Hamas to relinquish control of the territory. Palestinian human rights groups have called on members of the UNSC to vote against the resolution, stressing that it could undermine and reject Palestinian self-determination. According to Khaled Elgindy, a senior fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, Israel’s attacks on Gaza challenge “both the international community and the limits” of the UNSC resolution. Since 10 October, an Al Jazeera analysis found that Israel has violated the ceasefire agreement at least 393 times.
Pakistan: Security Forces Kill 23 Militants in Raid Near Afghan Border
On 19 November 2025, Pakistani forces raided two Taliban hideouts in Pakistan’s northwest region, close to the Afghan border, killing 23 militants according to the military. No casualties among the military were reported. The operation took place in Kurram, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, following raids earlier this week that killed 38 militants, according to the Pakistani military. The army stated that the militants were “Khawarij,” a term used by the authorities for militants backed by Afghanistan and India, which includes those associated with the Pakistani Taliban, a claim both New Delhi and Kabul deny. The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), is a separate group allied with Afghanistan’s Taliban and has become increasingly assertive since the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan in 2021. Pakistan has repeatedly called on Kabul to restrain the TTP, as much of the group is believed to operate across the Afghan border. Since 19 October, a Qatar-brokered ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan has largely held, following earlier exchanges of fire and attacks on border posts. The clashes broke out after Kabul accused Islamabad of carrying out drone strikes on 9 October in the Afghan capital that killed several people. Border crossings between the two countries have been closed since last month.
Ukraine: US Pressures Kyiv to Accept Proposed 28-Point Peace Plan
On 21 November 2025, it was reported that Washington is threatening to scale back weapons supplies and intelligence sharing for Ukraine if Kyiv refuses to accept a 28-point US-drafted peace framework. The plan, which endorses several long-standing Russian demands, would require Kyiv to cede additional territory, cap its armed forces at 600,000 troops, permanently abandon NATO membership, and accept a gradual lifting of sanctions on Moscow. In return, Ukraine would receive only a vague pledge of “robust security guarantees.” US officials say the plan was shaped with input from secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, Rustem Umerov, but Umerov publicly denied approving any terms, insisting Kyiv will reject provisions that violate its sovereignty. Zelenskiy has avoided directly opposing the proposal himself, while speaking with European leaders who sharply criticised the deal and warned that forcing concessions on Ukraine would be dangerous. The diplomatic push by the Trump administration comes as Ukraine faces deteriorating battlefield conditions and domestic political difficulties, while Russian troops advance gradually around Kupiansk and Pokrovsk.
China: Chinese Ships Reroute to Avoid Japanese Ports as Diplomatic Tensions Rise
On 21 November 2025, it was reported that Chinese cruise operators are avoiding Japanese ports amid a sharp diplomatic flare-up triggered by new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent comments on Taiwan. Takaichi told lawmakers that a Chinese attack on Taiwan threatening Japan’s survival could warrant a Japanese military response, a statement that Beijing condemned as provocative and which has inflamed nationalist sentiment inside China. In response, Chinese cruise liners such as Adora Magic City have cancelled December stops in Fukuoka, Sasebo, and Nagasaki, rerouting to South Korea’s Jeju Island for extended stays. South Korean port officials said the sudden changes appear directly linked to deteriorating China-Japan ties. It is reported that other Chinese cruise lines are drafting contingency plans to bypass Japan entirely, reflecting growing fears that travel there is “not safe” amid escalating geopolitical tensions. The rerouting highlights how even limited signalling over Taiwan can trigger rapid, tangible fallout in the region.
Weekly News Recap (16 – 22 February 2026) © Photo by Coast Guard News via FlickrInternational Justice SectionBosnia and Herzegovina: Court Upholds War-Crimes Convictions for Abuse of PrisonersECtHR: Finds Bulgaria Failed to Investigate Racist Motive in AssaultECtHR: Finds Serbia Failed to Carry Out an Effective Investigation into 1991 Conflict-Era KillingTunisia:
Weekly News Recap (9 – 15 February 2026) © Photo by DW Akademie – Africa via Flickr International Justice Section KSC: Closing Statements Begin in Thaçi’s Trial Hong Kong: High Court Sentences Jimmy Lai to 20 Years’ Imprisonment Mali: Appeals Court Upholds Prison Sentence Against Former Prime Minister Moussa Mara
Weekly News Recap (2 – 8 February 2026) © Photo by Óglaigh na hÉireann via Flickr International Justice Section France: Judges Issue Criminal Summonses in Gaza Aid Blockade Investigation Libya: Death of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Ends Prospects for ICC Trial in Libya Case Switzerland: Foreign Minister Reported to ICC for
