Weekly News Recap (20 - 26 July 2026)
© Photo by UNMEER via Flickr
International Justice Section
ICC: Constitutes Trial Chamber in El Hishri Case Concerning Alleged Crimes in Libya
South Africa: High Court Closes Inquest into Apartheid Lawyer Griffiths Mxenge Assassination
ICJ: Russia Files Declaration of Intervention in Lithuania v. Belarus Migrant Smuggling Case
India: Supreme Court Sets Aside Death Sentence in 1996 Bus Bomb Case
US: Appeals Court Overturns Order Releasing Columbia Activist Mohsen Mahdawi
US: Trial Date Set for Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Drug Trafficking Charges
ICC: Trial Chamber VI Schedules Delivery of Judgment in Said Case
ICC: Proceedings Against Abdallah Banda Terminated After Prosecution Withdraws War Crimes Charges
International Peace & Security Section
UN: Warns of Impacts of Russian Attacks on Children and Humanitarian Aid in Ukraine
UN: Reports 144 People Dead or Missing in Deadly Atlantic Crossings
US: Report Finds Funding Cuts Disrupt HIV Prevention and Treatment Services Globally
US-Ecuador: HRW Report Highlights Increased Abuses Amid Deepening Security Cooperation
DRC: Death Toll of Ebola Outbreak Surpasses 1,000
Mali: OHCHR Reports Alleged Torture and Killing of Surrendering Soldiers by Armed Groups
Iran: UN Fact-Finding Mission Urgently Calls for Halt to Protest-Related Executions
India: HRW Reports Excessive Force Against Student Protesters in New Delhi
ICC: Assembly of States Parties Votes to Remove Prosecutor Karim Khan
International Justice Section
ECtHR: Finds Switzerland Violated Articles 9 and 13 in Failure to Provide Applicants Vegan Diet While in State Care
On 20 July 2026, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) published its judgment in G.K. and A.S. v. Switzerland, delivered on 16 July, holding that Switzerland had violated Articles 9 (freedom of thought and conscience) and 13 (right to an effective remedy) of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in a case concerning access to vegan diets in State care. The case marked the first time the Court had examined whether dietary requirements linked to veganism could be protected under Article 9’s guarantee of freedom of thought and conscience. The Court found that the applicants’ vegan beliefs met the required threshold of “cogency, seriousness, cohesion and importance” and therefore fell within Article 9’s protection. It held that Swiss authorities had failed to properly examine their requests for vegan meals while in State care and had adopted an excessively formalistic approach that rendered domestic remedies ineffective. The Court awarded the applicants damages and costs.
ICC: Constitutes Trial Chamber in El Hishri Case Concerning Alleged Crimes in Libya
On 20 July 2026, the International Criminal Court (ICC) Presidency constituted Trial Chamber VII to conduct the trial of Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri, a senior alleged official of Libya’s Special Deterrence Forces (SDF/RADA) and Mitiga Prison. The Chamber is composed of Presiding Judge Althea Violet Alexis-Windsor, Judge Miatta Maria Samba, and Judge Beti Hohler. El Hishri is accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed in Libya between May 2014 and June 2020, including murder, torture, rape, and other forms of sexual violence. Prosecutors allege that he was responsible for crimes committed against detainees at Mitiga Prison, including women and children. The move follows Pre-Trial Chamber I’s unanimous confirmation of all charges against El Hishri on 16 July, formally advancing the case toward trial.
https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/el-hishri-case-icc-presidency-constitutes-trial-chamber-vii
South Africa: High Court Closes Inquest into Apartheid Lawyer Griffiths Mxenge Assassination
On 20 July 2026, the Pietermaritzburg High Court ruled to close the reopened inquest into the 1981 assassination of anti-apartheid lawyer Griffiths Mxenge. The Court determined that the matter had already been thoroughly examined through prior criminal proceedings and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission process. It found that no new evidence had emerged to warrant continuing the inquest and concluded that the legal requirements for reopening the proceedings had not been satisfied. The ruling highlights the challenges of achieving accountability for apartheid-era crimes.
https://witness.co.za/news/2026/07/20/court-closes-reopened-mxenge-murder-inquest/
ICJ: Russia Files Declaration of Intervention in Lithuania v. Belarus Migrant Smuggling Case
On 21 July 2026, the Russian Federation submitted a declaration of intervention to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the case concerning Alleged Smuggling of Migrants (Lithuania v. Belarus), initiated under the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air. Russia seeks to intervene in accordance with Article 63 of the ICJ Statute, asserting that the proceedings necessitate the interpretation of a multilateral treaty to which it is a party. The declaration allows the Court to assess whether Russia may intervene in the proceedings. In accordance with Article 83 of the Rules of Court, Lithuania and Belarus have been invited to submit written observations on the declaration.
https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/case-related/200/200-20260721-pre-02-00-en.pdf
India: Supreme Court Sets Aside Death Sentence in 1996 Bus Bomb Case
On 21 July 2026, the Supreme Court of India overturned the conviction and death sentence of Dr. Abdul Hameed in relation to the 1996 Samleti bus bomb blast in Rajasthan, which resulted in the deaths of 14 individuals and injured numerous others. The Court determined that Hameed had been denied adequate legal representation during his trial, concluding that this deficiency in providing meaningful legal assistance represented a grave violation of his right to a fair trial and compromised the integrity of the judicial proceedings. Highlighting that the validity of a criminal conviction relies on the fairness of the judicial process rather than the severity of the punishment, the Court mandated a retrial before a different court.
US: Appeals Court Overturns Order Releasing Columbia Activist Mohsen Mahdawi
On 21 July 2026, the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit overturned a lower court ruling that had ordered the release of Columbia University activist Mohsen Mahdawi from immigration detention. A three-judge panel held that the lower court should not have intervened because Mahdawi’s challenge to his detention and deportation should have been addressed through the immigration court system. The ruling does not itself require Mahdawi’s immediate re-arrest, and his lawyers argue that there is currently no legal basis to detain or deport him while further appeals are pending. Mahdawi, a lawful permanent resident born in the occupied West Bank, was arrested in April 2025 after attending an interview related to his citizenship application and was not charged with a crime. His case has become a prominent challenge to the Trump administration’s use of immigration powers against foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian activism.
US: Trial Date Set for Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Drug Trafficking Charges
On 22 July 2026, a US federal judge set 1 June 2027 as the trial date for former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who are facing drug trafficking charges in a high-profile criminal case. The pair appeared in Manhattan federal court and pleaded not guilty. Maduro’s defence lawyer said the defence would seek to have the case dismissed, arguing that Maduro is immune from prosecution as the head of a sovereign state. Maduro faces four felony counts, including narcoterrorism conspiracy and cocaine importation conspiracy, and could receive a life sentence if convicted. The judge also established deadlines for pre-trial motions, with the first round due in September 2026 and arguments scheduled for November. The case raises significant questions concerning head-of-state immunity, jurisdiction and the legality of Maduro’s capture and transfer to the US.
ICC: Trial Chamber VI Schedules Delivery of Judgment in Said Case
On 22 July 2026, Trial Chamber VI of the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced that it will deliver its trial judgment in the case against Mahamat Said Abdel Kani on 23 September 2026. Said, a former alleged commander of the Seleka armed group in the Central African Republic, is charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity, including torture, cruel treatment, outrages upon personal dignity, imprisonment, persecution, and other inhumane acts allegedly committed at the Office Central de Répression du Banditisme (OCRB) detention facility in Bangui between April and August 2013. The Chamber’s announcement sets the date on which it will determine whether the Prosecution has proved Said’s criminal responsibility beyond reasonable doubt.
https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/said-case-icc-trial-chamber-vi-deliver-trial-judgment-23-september-2026
ICC: Proceedings Against Abdallah Banda Terminated After Prosecution Withdraws War Crimes Charges
On 23 July 2026, Trial Chamber IV of the International Criminal Court (ICC) terminated proceedings against Abdallah Banda Abakaer Nourain and vacated the arrest warrant issued against him after authorising the Prosecution to withdraw the charges. Banda faced three war crimes charges relating to an alleged 2007 attack on an African Union peacekeeping mission in Haskanita, North Darfur, Sudan, including murder, intentionally directing attacks against peacekeepers and pillage. The Chamber found that the Prosecution had not demonstrated that the evidence had deteriorated to the point that the case could no longer proceed to trial. However, it concluded that proceeding to trial despite the Prosecutor’s refusal to present the case would undermine its obligation to ensure a fair and efficient trial. The Chamber therefore authorised the withdrawal of charges to avert an injustice, while stressing that the decision would not prevent a future case against Banda based on the same or similar facts.
https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/icc-trial-chamber-terminates-proceedings-case-against-mr-banda
International Peace & Security Section
UN: Warns of Impacts of Russian Attacks on Children and Humanitarian Aid in Ukraine
On 20 July 2026, UN agencies raised alarm over recent Russian attacks and drone strikes across Ukraine, which have killed at least two children, injured dozens of civilians, and damaged humanitarian aid facilities. The strikes hit several regions, including Kyiv, Odessa, and Zaporizhzhia, where reports indicate that a Red Cross vehicle was destroyed in a drone attack. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that three critical aid warehouses were damaged, including those belonging to the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). A WFP warehouse in Dnipro was struck four times by drone strikes, the seventh such attack in the past three months. UNICEF reported that one of its contracted warehouses that was attacked contained critical emergency response supplies, such as drinking water, hygiene kits, water storage tanks, and generators. UNICEF expressed concern at the number of child casualties, which have reached their highest level in June since 2022. The child protection agency also warned of the consequences of ongoing attacks on humanitarian groups’ ability to adequately deliver lifesaving aid and support to children and families. It urged for an end to the attacks, for the protection of children and humanitarian centres, and for lasting peace in Ukraine.
UN: Reports 144 People Dead or Missing in Deadly Atlantic Crossings
On 21 July 2026, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reported 144 people dead or missing following a series of “tragic maritime incidents” off the coast of Mauritania. Those affected were trying to migrate to Europe, many of them refugees. Between 14 and 18 July, disembarkation and rescue operations by Mauritanian authorities, the UNHCR, and humanitarian groups brought 387 survivors safely to shore. The deadliest incident, with 143 passengers reported dead or missing, involved a boat that had departed from The Gambia to reach Spain’s Canary Islands and was stranded at sea for 25 days. The UN agency highlighted the unrelenting dangers facing refugees and migrants who try to reach Europe. Harsh ocean conditions, vast distances, overcrowding on boats, and limited rescue efforts make the Atlantic route between the West African mainland and the Canary Islands particularly deadly. It said that although sea arrivals to the Canary Islands and to Europe overall have decreased this year, the alarming rates of disappearances and deaths warrant greater public attention. The agency emphasised the need to address the underlying causes pushing migrants and refugees to flee their homes and called on states to expand alternative legal migration pathways, including resettlement, education, and employment opportunities, to reduce perilous sea crossings.
US: Report Finds Funding Cuts Disrupt HIV Prevention and Treatment Services Globally
On 21 July 2026, amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, released a report on the consequences of US funding cuts on AIDS prevention and treatment worldwide. The organisation reported severe disruptions across dozens of countries, with organisations forced to shut down clinics, make cuts to staffing, and scale back critical services. The US’s President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, PEPFAR, is widely credited with saving some 26 million lives since it was introduced in 2003. However, its effectiveness was seriously curtailed following cuts to US global health financing last year, as well as the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Survey responses from 166 organisations in 46 countries found that most groups receiving PEPFAR funding experienced funding delays or terminations, resulting in thousands of clinic closures and staff cuts. It also found that HIV prevention services have drastically decreased and that services for communities most affected by HIV were especially impacted by cuts. The US State Department disputed the report’s findings. AmfAR urged the US government and PEPFAR leaders to restore support for all HIV services. It also called on other governments to increase their funding for services and nongovernmental organisations, especially those led by at-risk communities.
https://apnews.com/article/hiv-aids-pepfar-usaid-trump-2165879c1def1369264b795793d6351d
US-Ecuador: HRW Report Highlights Increased Abuses Amid Deepening Security Cooperation
On 21 July 2026, Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a report raising concerns about serious human rights violations in the context of growing security cooperation between the US and Ecuador. Through interviews with affected people, witnesses, lawyers, and others, as well as open-source investigations, the organisation documented several abusive incidents over several months. This included human rights violations in a rural settlement on the Colombia-Ecuador border in March, when Ecuadorian forces attacked, arbitrarily detained, and tortured people there as part of joint operations with the US. This directly implicates the US-Ecuador security partnership, which in recent years has expanded with the aim of combatting rising violence in Ecuador and organised crime across the region. The report also documented armed drone attacks on two fishing boats off the coast of Ecuador between January and March, as well as the disappearance of a third vessel with most of its crew. HRW said this raises questions about involvement and responsibility that the US and Ecuador should adequately answer. The organisation urged the US Congress to probe the Trump administration on its security cooperation with Ecuador, including around recent escalating human rights violations. It also called on Ecuador to explore alternative approaches to address organised crime, such as through strengthening the justice system.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/07/21/us/ecuador-abuses-proliferate-as-security-cooperation-deepens
Amnesty International: Calls for War Crimes Investigation into Pakistani Airstrike on Kabul Rehabilitation Centre
On 21 July 2026, Amnesty International published a four-month investigation into a Pakistani military airstrike on the Omid Rehabilitation and Treatment Centre in Kabul, carried out on 16 March 2026, calling for the attack to be investigated as a possible war crime. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) independently verified that the strike killed at least 269 civilians and wounded a further 122. Amnesty International’s investigation, which analysed more than 60 photographs and videos, over 30 satellite images, weapons remnants, and publicly available footage, and included interviews with 11 witnesses, found no evidence to support Pakistan’s assertion that the facility was being used to store weapons or ammunition or served any military purpose at the time of the attack. The organisation identified signage clearly marking the centre as a rehabilitation and treatment facility, reviewed satellite imagery from 13 March 2026 showing large numbers of people present just three days before the strike and found no indication that any warning was given before the attack took place. The strikes occurred at approximately 9 p.m. as patients finished evening Ramadan prayers, and the organisation noted that the timing meant civilians had no meaningful opportunity to evacuate. Amnesty International concluded that the attack violated the special protections afforded to healthcare facilities under international humanitarian law, as well as the principles of distinction, precaution, and proportionality, and called on Pakistan to allow an independent investigation.
DRC: Death Toll of Ebola Outbreak Surpasses 1,000
On 22 July 2026, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention announced that more than 1,000 people have died in the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This has become the fastest-moving outbreak of the disease ever recorded, in large part because there is no approved vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo virus that caused it. According to African health officials and Congolese authorities, some 2,500 confirmed cases and over 1,000 deaths have been reported since the outbreak was declared on 15 May, with hundreds of patients currently isolated or receiving treatment. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that official figures likely do not reflect the true scale of the outbreak, as many communities at its epicentre are in conflict-affected areas that are difficult to reach. Community resistance to Ebola teams carrying out safe burials has also heightened the risk of transmission and hindered the response. Health facilities have faced attacks, and some medical workers have also gone on strike due to lack of pay. Humanitarian workers have also raised concern over poor coordination and delays by response agencies. International experts have warned of a worsening crisis and significant challenges ahead, with an Ebola outbreak that is outpacing the response.
https://apnews.com/article/congo-ebola-bundibugyo-ituri-154413267e8816b82c7561c352b90321
Mali: OHCHR Reports Alleged Torture and Killing of Surrendering Soldiers by Armed Groups
On 23 July 2026, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) issued a press release deploring the reported torture and killing of dozens of surrendering Malian soldiers by the Touareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) and the Jama’at Nusrat Al-Islam Wal-Muslimin (JNIM) in the Gao region of Mali on 18 July 2026. OHCHR stated that footage circulated online appeared to show FLA and JNIM members firing on soldiers who had already surrendered with their hands behind their heads, and noted that the killing, torture, or abuse of individuals hors de combat constitutes a war crime under international humanitarian law. The statement called for a thorough and independent investigation into the circumstances of the incident, demanded that the armed groups cease such violations and prevent any recurrence, and called for accountability through fair trials and remedy for victims and their families.
Iran: UN Fact-Finding Mission Urgently Calls for Halt to Protest-Related Executions
On 23 July 2026, the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFM), established by the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), issued an urgent press release calling on Iranian authorities to immediately halt the executions of 10 young men sentenced to death in connection with protests at Alikhani Square in Isfahan on 8 January 2026. The Mission simultaneously condemned the execution on 19 July 2026 of two other men, Erfan Esfandiari, reported to be 18 years old, and Gol Mohammad Mohammadi, a 23-year-old Afghan national, in the same case. According to the FFM, all 12 men were arrested in connection with protests that resulted in the deaths of four members of the security forces. The Mission reported that credible information indicated that the families of at least two of the remaining 10 men had been summoned for final visits, suggesting further executions were imminent. The statement placed the 19 July executions within a broader pattern the FFM described as deeply alarming: since protests began on 28 December 2025, more than 60 individuals, including at least three women and two boys, have been sentenced to death, and 23 men have already been executed in connection with the protests since March 2026. The Mission noted that on 15 July, following a directive by the Head of the Iranian Judiciary to expedite proceedings, the Tehran Prosecutor General announced that all protest-related cases had been finalised and referred to courts, raising fears of further death sentences. The FFM reiterated its call on Iran to immediately halt all executions and establish a moratorium on capital punishment, and recalled that the Mission’s prior reporting had documented that the increased use of the death penalty during periods of political unrest may, in light of its other findings, amount to crimes against humanity.
India: HRW Reports Excessive Force Against Student Protesters in New Delhi
On 23 July 2026, Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a news release documenting the use of tear gas, batons, and mobile internet shutdowns by Indian security forces against largely peaceful student and youth protesters in New Delhi on 20 July 2026. The protests, which originated in June over the alleged mismanagement and paper leakage of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test undergraduate examination, India’s medical school entrance test, had grown to encompass wider grievances concerning youth unemployment and government corruption. The Cockroach Janta Party, a Gen Z-led movement, called a peaceful march to parliament on 20 July, the opening day of the monsoon session of the Indian legislature. HRW interviewed nine witnesses, including protest organisers, journalists, and students, and analysed and verified 10 videos, documenting security forces using batons and tear gas against crowds, deploying personnel in civilian clothes without identifying insignia, and using facial recognition surveillance against participants. Delhi Police stated that approximately 180 people were injured, including 118 security personnel and 60 protesters, with one young woman protester left in critical condition. Telecommunication providers received orders to shut down mobile internet services in parts of central Delhi, though HRW noted that the government did not comply with Supreme Court directions requiring such orders to be published. The organisation cited the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which India is a party, as well as a 2016 HRC resolution condemning internet shutdowns, and called on the Indian government to investigate the use of force, hold those responsible to account, and restore internet access.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/07/23/india-excessive-force-used-against-student-protesters
ICC: Assembly of States Parties Votes to Remove Prosecutor Karim Khan
On 24 July 2026, the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to the Rome Statute voted to remove International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan from office following findings by the Court’s oversight body of sexual misconduct by Khan. The decision was approved by 82 of the Court’s 125 States Parties through a secret ballot. Khan has denied the allegations, asserting that the proceedings are unlawful and lack evidential support. His removal triggers the process for the election of a new ICC Prosecutor, while any existing ICC arrest warrants remain unaffected, as only the Court’s judges have the authority to withdraw them.