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International Peace & Security Section
Pakistan: At Least 20 Killed in Bomb Blasts and Gun Battle in Northwest
UN: Over 80 Member States Condemn Israel’s Plans to Expand Annexation to West Bank
US: Issues Warning Over Nuclear Deal Deadline with Iran Amid Military Mobilisation
UN: Sudan Fact-Finding Mission Reveals Genocide Campaign Against Non-Arab Communities
Greece: At Least Five Dead After Migrant Boat Capsizes off Crete
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Court Upholds War-Crimes Convictions for Abuse of Prisoners
On 17 February 2026, the Appellate Division of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina upheld the first-instance war-crimes convictions of Slaviša Đerić and Nenad Ujić for inhumane treatment of detained civilians at the “Rasadnik” detention facility in Rogatica during the Bosnian war. The appellate judgment confirmed prison sentences of three years for Đerić and four years for Ujić, thereby rendering the convictions final. The convictions related to acts committed between July and December 1995, during which the defendants, serving as military police guards, subjected detained civilians from Žepa, Rogatica, and Srebrenica to beatings and other forms of physical and psychological abuse. The first-instance judgment had established that detainees suffered repeated mistreatment while under guard at the facility, and the appellate court affirmed those findings and the resulting custodial penalties. The appellate ruling also upheld acquittals of three co-defendants, including the former detention facility commander, on charges that they failed to prevent or punish abuses or bore responsibility for additional alleged crimes. The appellate panel’s confirmation of both convictions and acquittals constituted the final judicial determination of criminal responsibility in the case.
https://detektor.ba/2026/02/17/potvrdjeno-sedam-godina-zatvora-za-zlocine-u-rogatici
ECtHR: Finds Bulgaria Failed to Investigate Racist Motive in Assault
On 17 February 2026, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) held in Koffi v. Bulgaria (application no. 95/24) that Bulgaria violated its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) by failing to properly investigate a violent assault and its alleged racist motive. In its verdict, the Court relied on Article 3, which prohibits inhuman or degrading treatment, and requires states to conduct effective investigations into credible allegations of serious violence, and on Article 14, which prohibits discrimination in the protection of Convention rights, and requires authorities to investigate whether racial prejudice contributed to such violence. The Court found a violation of Article 3 in its procedural limb and a violation of Article 14 in conjunction with Article 3 in its procedural aspect. By four votes to three, the Court found no violation of the substantive limb of Article 3. The case arose from an assault on 29 September 2018 following a football match in Sofia, in which the applicant was attacked and injured by a group of individuals. The Court determined that Bulgarian authorities did not conduct an investigation capable of identifying and prosecuting those responsible, citing failures to pursue key lines of inquiry and investigative omissions that undermined the effectiveness of the criminal investigation. These deficiencies constituted a breach of Bulgaria’s procedural obligation under Article 3 to ensure an effective investigation into allegations of serious ill-treatment. The Court further held that Bulgarian authorities failed to take reasonable steps to investigate whether the assault had been motivated by racism, despite indications supporting such a possibility. The Court awarded compensation for non-pecuniary damage and costs, and the judgment established Bulgaria’s responsibility under international human rights law for failing to fulfil its investigative obligations.
ECtHR: Finds Serbia Failed to Carry Out an Effective Investigation into 1991 Conflict-Era Killing
On 17 February 2026, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) (Third Section) unanimously held in Đaković v Serbia (application no. 30749/22) that Serbia violated Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), the right to life, which requires effective official investigations into killings, and Serbia’s investigation into the applicant’s father’s death lacked promptness and reasonable expedition. The Court treated the violation as a procedural failure. The case concerned the killing of the applicant’s father, shot dead on 10 October 1991 during the capture of Lovas, Croatia, in an attack described as carried out by volunteers, local police, and territorial defence forces acting under orders of a Yugoslav People’s Army commander (D.L.). The Court reviewed two sets of Serbian proceedings: a first case initiated in 2007, against 14 suspects, that ended in 2020 with the acquittal of the only person charged in relation to the applicant’s father’s killing, and a second track triggered by a 2016 criminal complaint (filed via the Humanitarian Law Centre) against D.L., where an indictment was only issued in September 2022 after prolonged prosecutorial inactivity. Although the killing predated Serbia’s Convention entry into force (March 2004), the Court accepted temporal jurisdiction under the “Convention values” test, given the war-crimes characterisation and the post-2004 investigative conduct. The judgment constituted a binding legal determination that Serbia failed to fulfil its investigative obligations under international human rights law. The Court awarded compensation to the applicant and imposed a legal obligation on Serbia to remedy the violation in accordance with the Convention.
Tunisia: Court Sentences Lawmaker to Eight Months’ Imprisonment for Insulting the President
On 19 February 2026, a Tunisian criminal court sentenced opposition lawmaker Ahmed Saidani to eight months’ imprisonment after convicting him of insulting President Kais Saied through statements published on social media. The conviction was a final criminal judgment imposing custodial punishment under provisions criminalising insult through communication networks, and authorised Saidani’s continued detention following his arrest earlier in February. The prosecution arose from a Facebook post in which Saidani mocked President Saied, referring to him as the “supreme commander of sewage and rainwater drainage.” A judicial official confirmed that the conviction was based on charges of insulting others via communication networks, an offence under Tunisian criminal law carrying custodial penalties. The court’s judgment established Saidani’s criminal liability and imposed an enforceable prison sentence. Saidani had been elected to parliament in 2022 after President Saied dissolved the previous legislature and dismissed the government in 2021, subsequently ruling by decree. The criminal proceedings occurred in a legal and political context in which multiple opposition leaders, journalists, and critics had been arrested and imprisoned following the concentration of executive authority. The judgment therefore imposed penal consequences on a sitting legislator for speech critical of the executive, raising concerns about the protection of freedom of expression under international human rights law, which restrict the use of criminal sanctions against political speech. The conviction remained subject to appellate review within Tunisia’s judicial system.
South Korea: Court Sentences Former President Yoon to Life for Insurrection
On 19 February 2026, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to life imprisonment after convicting him of masterminding an insurrection linked to an attempt to impose martial law on 3 December 2024. The court found that the plan involved deploying troops to the National Assembly with the intent of paralysing parliamentary functions, and that attempts to effect arrests formed part of the insurrectionary conduct. Prosecutors sought the death penalty, but the court imposed a life term. Seven other defendants were sentenced in the same proceedings, including the former defence minister, Kim Yong-hyun, who received a 30-year prison sentence. The judgment treated the martial-law declaration as having generated “enormous social cost” despite lasting roughly six hours before parliamentary rejection and public mobilisation. Reporting indicated that the defence signalled an intention to consider an appeal, and that appellate review could proceed through higher courts under South Korean procedure. The case represents one of the most consequential trials from the 2024 crisis, addressing allegations of subversion of constitutional order by a sitting head of state through the mobilisation of security forces against the legislature.
US: Supreme Court Invalidates Reciprocal Tariff Measures Under Emergency Powers
On 20 February 2026, the US Supreme Court delivered a landmark ruling that invalidated the reciprocal tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump under emergency economic powers legislation, enacted by invoking the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). In a 6–3 decision, the Court determined that the executive branch had overstepped its statutory authority by utilising national emergency provisions to impose these tariffs, concluding that the power to set tariffs primarily resides with Congress. The court found that the IEEPA “does not authorise the president to impose tariffs.” The ruling affirms earlier findings by lower courts that the IEEPA does not grant the president unlimited powers and does not give him the authority to impose tariffs indiscriminately.
https://english.elpais.com/usa/2026-02-20/us-supreme-court-strikes-down-most-of-trumps-tariffs.html
ICC: Pre-Trial Chamber Authorises Duterte’s Absence from Confirmation of Charges Hearing
On 20 February 2026, the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber I granted former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte the permission to waive his physical presence at the upcoming hearing for the confirmation of charges in the case concerning alleged crimes against humanity related to his anti-drug campaign. The judges determined that Duterte had knowingly and voluntarily submitted a written waiver, acknowledging both his right to attend and the legal implications of opting not to appear. Despite objections from the Prosecution and legal representatives of the victims, the Chamber concluded that the waiver fulfilled the requirements outlined in Article 61(2)(a) of the Rome Statute and Rule 124(2) of the Court’s Rules of Procedure and Evidence. Consequently, the hearings scheduled for 23–24 and 26–27 February will proceed in his absence, although this ruling applies only to those specific sessions.
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2026/02/20/icc-allows-duterte-to-skip-confirmation-hearing/
https://www.icc-cpi.int/sites/default/files/CourtRecords/0902ebd180dca7a4.pdf
Pakistan: At Least 20 Killed in Bomb Blasts and Gun Battle in Northwest
On 17 February 2026, more than 20 people were killed in a series of bomb attacks and a gun battle in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, authorities said. It is reported 11 security personnel and a child were killed in Bajaur district after an explosives-laden vehicle detonated near a security checkpoint, while seven others, including women and children, were injured. Officials said the blast occurred as the vehicle was being driven towards the checkpoint, with the force of the explosion causing nearby structures to collapse. Separately, two people were killed and at least 17 injured when explosives attached to a parked motorcycle detonated near a police station in Bannu district, also near the Afghan border. In another incident in Shangla district, three police officers and three rebel fighters were killed during a search operation. Police said the slain fighters had been involved in attacks targeting Chinese nationals. Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in violence since 2021, coinciding with the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan. In the first three quarters of 2025, more than 2,400 people were killed in attacks, compared with roughly 2,500 deaths recorded throughout 2024. Islamabad has blamed much of the surge in violence on the Pakistan Taliban (TTP), whose leadership is allegedly based across the border in Afghanistan.
US: 11 Killed in Strikes on Alleged Drug-Trafficking Boats
On 17 February 2026, the US military said it killed at least 11 people in three strikes on what it described as drug-trafficking vessels in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea. US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said the attacks, two in the Eastern Pacific and one in the Caribbean, were carried out late Monday as part of Operation Southern Spear. According to SOUTHCOM, four people were killed on each of the two Pacific vessels and three on the Caribbean boat. The Trump administration has conducted similar strikes since September as part of a broader campaign against regional drug cartels. The latest attacks bring the reported death toll from the maritime campaign to at least 145 people since September, though estimates vary. Legal experts and UN officials have described the operations as extrajudicial killings, noting that the identities of those killed and evidence of their alleged trafficking links have not been publicly released. Families in Colombia and Trinidad and Tobago have identified some victims as fishermen or migrant workers and have pursued legal action. While Washington maintains it is engaged in an armed conflict with drug-trafficking groups it has labelled foreign terrorist organisations, international law experts and UN officials dispute that characterisation and have urged the US to halt the strikes.
UN: Over 80 Member States Condemn Israel’s Plans to Expand Annexation to West Bank
On 18 February 2026, more than 80 UN member states condemned Israel’s plan to expand control over the occupied West Bank and claim large tracts of Palestinian territory as Israeli “state property”. The coalition warned that the move constitutes a de facto annexation and will lead to widespread dispossession of Palestinian land. Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour said, “We strongly condemn unilateral Israeli decisions and measures aimed at expanding Israel’s unlawful presence in the West Bank,” speaking on behalf of the 85 member states and several international organisations. The joint statement follows Israel’s decision to implement land registration in Area C of the West Bank for the first time since 1967. Area C makes up about 60 percent of the West Bank, where roughly 465,000 Israeli settlers currently live, spread across some 300 settlements and outposts considered illegal under international law. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the land registration plan could be both “destabilising” and unlawful, potentially resulting in the dispossession of Palestinians and expanding Israeli control over territory. Guterres cited a 2024 ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which confirmed that Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza is illegal and must end. The ICJ also ruled that “Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the regime associated with them, have been established and are being maintained in violation of international law”.
Nigeria: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Kills At Least 37 Miners
On 19 February 2026, it was reported at least 37 miners died from carbon monoxide poisoning at a mining site in Kampani community in the Wase area of Plateau State, central Nigeria. The incident, which occurred on Wednesday morning, also left 25 people hospitalised, based on police and security reports. Officials said the victims had entered a dormant lead mine where accumulated minerals released lethal fumes. Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, stated that local villagers were reportedly unaware of the toxic emissions when they entered the tunnel to extract minerals and inhaled the gas. Plateau State authorities said many were feared dead without giving an exact toll, adding that survivors were receiving treatment in nearby hospitals. Security forces have since cordoned off the site. Illegal mining remains widespread in Nigeria, where many operations lack government oversight and basic safety protections. Following the incident, the federal government ordered an immediate suspension of mining activities near the site pending a comprehensive investigation. The tragedy comes amid a broader pattern of deadly mining incidents across Africa. Last month, an estimated 200 people were killed in a coltan mine collapse in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, underscoring persistent safety risks in both regulated and informal mining sectors.
US: Issues Warning Over Nuclear Deal Deadline with Iran Amid Military Mobilisation
On 19 February 2026, US President Donald Trump issued a 10-to-15-day ultimatum for Iran to reach a “meaningful” nuclear agreement, warning that “really bad things” would happen if the deadline passed without a resolution. The threat coincides with one of the largest US military build-ups in the region in decades, featuring the deployment of multiple aircraft carrier strike groups, expected to be fully positioned in the Middle East by mid-March. While negotiators recently agreed on “guiding principles” during indirect talks, the White House emphasised that significant gaps remain. Washington is demanding that Tehran entirely abandon uranium enrichment, dismantle its long-range ballistic missile program, and cease the domestic repression of protesters. In response, Iranian officials insist their nuclear program is peaceful and have declared their missile arsenal a “red line” for negotiations. Tehran has signalled its own military readiness, with state television broadcasting special forces drills in the Gulf of Oman, joined by a Russian corvette, and the government warning that US regional bases would become “legitimate targets” in the event of aggression. As global oil prices surge to six-month highs due to the standoff, Iran is expected to submit a written counterproposal to US envoys within days. However, with the US military build-up slated for completion by mid-March and Washington maintaining that all options are on the table, the region faces an unprecedented escalation of tension.
UN: Sudan Fact-Finding Mission Reveals Genocide Campaign Against Non-Arab Communities
On 19 February 2026, the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan released a report detailing evidence that the atrocities committed in Sudan bear the “hallmarks of genocide” against non-Arab communities. The findings focus on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their late-October takeover of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. Investigators documented a systematic campaign of ethnically targeted killings, widespread sexual violence, and enforced disappearances primarily aimed at the Zaghawa and Fur communities. The report establishes that the RSF deliberately inflicted conditions of life, including an 18-month siege that deprived civilians of food, water, and medicine, calculated to bring about the physical destruction of these protected groups. Witness testimonies describe “three days of absolute horror” following the city’s fall, with accounts of point-blank executions and public gang rapes. The UN mission verified 25 videos and interviewed over 320 survivors, revealing that senior RSF leadership publicly endorsed operations that were “planned and organised.” Investigators concluded that the scale and organisation of these abuses may suggest genocidal intent, a legal determination that could facilitate future prosecutions before international or domestic courts exercising universal jurisdiction. This finding heightens the call for accountability mechanisms, potentially including proceedings by the ICC concerning the Darfur situation, which was previously referred by the UN Security Council. Furthermore, the findings urge states to preserve evidence and collaborate with international justice institutions that are investigating atrocity crimes.
Nigeria: At Least 50 Killed in Attack in Zamfara State
On 21 February 2026, it was reported that at least 50 people were killed in an armed attack on the village of Tungan Dutse, in Nigeria’s northwestern Zamfara state. Several others were abducted, predominantly women and children. The exact number of those abducted remains uncertain, as local officials continue to account for the missing. The armed attackers entered on motorcycles, raided the village, setting fire to buildings and killing residents. The attack was carried out by terrorists, referred to locally as bandits. Insecurity remains a serious concern in Nigeria, especially in the northwest. The country has experienced a surge in bandit attacks, kidnappings, and killings, which has led to the displacement of thousands. In efforts to restore order, the Nigerian government has deployed troops to the region and has sought international assistance, including collaboration with the US for technical support and intelligence sharing. However, the situation remains challenging, with the Nigerian government facing mounting pressure to restore stability.
Greece: At Least Five Dead After Migrant Boat Capsizes off Crete
On 21 February 2026, it was reported that at least five people had died after a migrant boat capsized off the southern coast of Crete. A further 20 are reported missing. Survivors reported that the boat was carrying up to 50 people. The incident occurred as a merchant vessel, directed to the area by the Greek Search and Rescue Centre, approached the boat. When migrants attempted to climb up ladders lowered from the ship, the boat suddenly overturned in the water. The merchant vessel rescued 20 people, while the coast guard and Frontex units recovered a total of five bodies. Search and rescue operations are ongoing to locate those still missing. Officials stated a second boat was spotted in the same area, carrying around 40 people. For more than a year, migrants have been attempting the dangerous crossing from Libya to Crete in hopes of reaching Europe. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that 107 people died or went missing in Greek waters in 2025.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1296035/five-dead-20-missing-as-migrant-vessel-capsizes-off-crete/
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