Weekly News Recap (31 August - 6 September 2026)
© Photo by Stortinget via Flickr
International Justice Section
PCA: Finds Indus Waters Treaty Between India and Pakistan Remains in Force
CAR: Special Criminal Court Resumes Guen Crimes Against Humanity Trial
Belgium: Court Extends Pre-Trial Detention of Suspect in NATO Espionage Case
ECtHR: Finds Lithuania’s Dismissal of Public Security Officer Violated Article 8
Cambodia: Court Sentences Three Activists to Seven Years in Prison for Alleged Government Plot
Madagascar: Court Sentences Former Senate President to 10 Years Over Protest Crackdown
Tunisia: Court Upholds Convictions of 40 Opposition Figures
Kosovo: Indicts 35 Serbian Security Officers Over Prekaz Massacre
International Peace & Security Section
Colombia: Military Strike on Armed Groups Kills Three Children
Nepal: UN Agencies Warn of Consequences of Flash Floods on Women and Girls and Access to Health Care
UN: Experts Urge Accountability and End to Unlawful Killings at Sea by the US
Afghanistan: UNAMA Report Finds Lasting Civilian Harm Due to Decades-Long Conflict
US-Iran: Renewed Strikes Follow a Monthlong Pause in Fighting
UN: General Assembly Warns of Civilian Casualties and Damage to Infrastructure in Ukraine
UN: OCHA Briefs Palestinian Rights Committee on Deteriorating Conditions Across the OPT
UN: Security Council Hears of First Verified Chemical Weapons Destruction Since 2014 in Syria
International Justice Section
PCA: Finds Indus Waters Treaty Between India and Pakistan Remains in Force
On 31 August 2026, the Court of Arbitration in the Indus Waters Western Rivers Arbitration between Pakistan and India, with the proceedings administered by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), found that the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty remains fully in force, rejecting India’s decision to place the Treaty “in abeyance” following an attack in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in April 2025. The Court found that the Treaty does not permit either State to unilaterally suspend or terminate its operation and that none of the grounds invoked by India, including Pakistan’s alleged support for cross-border terrorism, a fundamental change of circumstances, and the existence of armed conflict, provided a legal basis for suspension or termination. The Court also rejected India’s position that its actions could be justified as a countermeasure, finding that the requirements for a lawful countermeasure had not been met. Accordingly, India remains bound by its obligations under the Treaty, including those governing the construction and operation of hydro-electric projects on the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab Rivers. In a separate Order on Interim Measures, the Court prohibited India from concreting specified portions of the Ratle Hydro-Electric Plant pending a decision by a Neutral Expert on whether the plant complies with the Treaty.
https://docs.pca-cpa.org/2026/08/3c1dbc21-2023-01-20260831-pca-press-release.pdf
CAR: Special Criminal Court Resumes Guen Crimes Against Humanity Trial
On 31 August 2026, the Special Criminal Court (SCC) of the Central African Republic (CAR) resumed proceedings in the Guen trial, with closing arguments beginning in the case concerning alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed between February and March 2014 in Gadzi, Guen, and Djomo. Four defendants are currently on trial, with a fifth being tried in absentia. They are alleged to have been members or supporters of the anti-Balaka militias and face charges including murder, looting, forced displacement, rape, sexual slavery, extermination, persecution, and inhuman and degrading treatment. The prosecution alleges that anti-balaka fighters massacred Muslim civilians, including more than 40 people sheltering at the home of a local chief in Guen. During the seven-week hearing, the prosecution presented around 40 witnesses and evidence including mobile phones, a notebook containing the names of 89 alleged victims, and videos depicting graves, survivor testimony and a recording allegedly confirming the massacre. The defendants have pleaded not guilty and disputed the allegations, with some shifting responsibility onto their co-defendants. Closing arguments by civil parties, prosecution, and defence are scheduled to conclude on 11 September.
Belgium: Court Extends Pre-Trial Detention of Suspect in NATO Espionage Case
On 31 August 2026, a Belgian court extended the pre-trial detention of a Canadian woman, who is suspected of espionage during her internship at NATO’s military headquarters in Mons, by an additional month. The Chamber of Indictments confirmed her detention after reviewing an appeal against an earlier ruling made by the pre-trial chamber. According to Belgium’s Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office, the suspect is being held as part of a federal judicial investigation into suspected “espionage in favour of a third country” and “participation in a criminal organisation.” The authorities have not disclosed the specific allegations and the country involved.
https://aa.com.tr/en/europe/belgian-court-extends-detention-of-nato-espionage-suspect/4042954
ECtHR: Finds Lithuania’s Dismissal of Public Security Officer Violated Article 8
On 1 September 2026, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) found in the case Mankus v. Lithuania that Lithuania violated Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life) of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) by dismissing a public security officer because of a spent conviction for an intentional crime. The applicant had been convicted of perjury in 2011 and initially dismissed from the internal service in 2013. However, despite being aware of his conviction, the authorities reinstated him in 2014 and allowed him to serve for more than four years before dismissing him again in 2019 on the basis that he lacked an “irreproachable reputation”. The ECtHR found that the authorities had failed to act consistently and in accordance with the principle of good governance, noting that they had not remedied any alleged error in reinstating the applicant in good time. The Court also criticised the domestic courts for failing to adequately consider the authorities’ knowledge of the conviction, the applicant’s subsequent service record and his expectations that his employment would continue. It found that the manner in which the relevant domestic provisions were applied lacked consistency and did not provide adequate protection against arbitrariness. The interference with the applicant’s private life resulted in a violation of Article 8.
Cambodia: Court Sentences Three Activists to Seven Years in Prison for Alleged Government Plot
On 2 September 2026, a government-controlled municipal court in Phnom Penh sentenced student leader Thy Thorn and opposition activists Soeung Kunthea and Mean Chanthon to seven years in prison for allegedly plotting against the government. The three were among at least 94 people arrested in 2024 amid criticism of the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area (CLV), a controversial regional development initiative that Cambodia subsequently withdrew from following public opposition. Thorn, a vice-president of the Khmer Student Intelligent League Association, was apparently targeted for his activism on social and environmental issues. Kunthea and Chanthon were arrested in Thailand in November 2024 and deported to Cambodia despite having been recognised as refugees by the UN refugee agency. Human Rights Watch (HRW) described the charges as baseless and accused the ruling Cambodian People’s Party of using the judicial system to suppress political opposition. It also reported that authorities pressured some CLV critics to confess and join the ruling party in exchange for release, while those who refused faced lengthy prison sentences. HRW called on the Cambodian authorities to immediately release Thorn, Kunthea, and Chanthon and quash their convictions.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/09/02/cambodia-court-sentences-3-activists-to-7-years-in-prison
Madagascar: Court Sentences Former Senate President to 10 Years Over Protest Crackdown
On 2 September 2026, a court in Madagascar sentenced Richard Ravalomanana, the former Senate president, to 10 years of hard labour after finding him guilty of complicity in murder related to his alleged involvement in the deadly crackdown on youth-led protests in 2025. Prosecutors claimed that Ravalomanana instructed security forces to use violence against protesters during demonstrations in September and October, which initially began over shortages of water and electricity, before expanding into wider opposition to the government. Ravalomanana denied the charges and stated his intention to appeal the verdict. His defence argued that there was no evidence to suggest he had ordered security forces to use force, while a former national police chief testified that Ravalomanana was not involved in the operational command during the period of unrest. Furthermore, the court dismissed a separate allegation of issuing a death threat, determining that the claim was too old to be prosecuted.
Tunisia: Court Upholds Convictions of 40 Opposition Figures
On 3 September 2026, Tunisia’s Court of Cassation rejected the final appeals of 40 people, including opposition figures, lawyers, businessmen, and human rights defenders convicted of conspiring to overthrow President Kais Saied, upholding prison sentences of up to 45 years. The ruling concludes three years of proceedings in a case widely criticised as politically motivated. Half of the defendants were tried and sentenced in absentia after fleeing the country. Among those convicted were National Salvation Front leader Najib Chebbi, sentenced to 12 years, and opposition figures Ghazi Chaouachi, Issam Chebbi, Jawhar Ben Mbarek and Ridha Belhaj, each sentenced to 20 years. Politician Noureddine Bhiri received a 10-year sentence. Defence lawyers said they were notified of the hearing only three days beforehand, leaving insufficient time to prepare. The defendants and their lawyers have rejected the charges and accused the authorities of using the judiciary to suppress political opposition. The government has maintained that the defendants sought to destabilise Tunisia, while Saied has previously described those accused as “traitors and terrorists.” The Court of Cassation’s ruling marks the final stage of domestic appeals in the case.
Kosovo: Indicts 35 Serbian Security Officers Over Prekaz Massacre
On 4 September 2026, Kosovo’s Special Prosecution announced that it had indicted 35 former Serbian security officials for their alleged roles in the killing of 26 civilians at the compound of Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) commander Adem Jashari in the village of Prekaz in March 1998. The accused face charges of war crimes against the civilian population. During a three-day assault from 5 to 7 March 1998, Serbian police and military forces besieged the Jashari family compound, resulting in the deaths of 59 people, including KLA founder Adem Jashari. Chief Special Prosecution Prosecutor Blerim Isufaj characterised the indictment as “the first one concerning the killing of civilians in the Jashari family compound in Prekaz, Skenderaj.” Among those indicted are former head of the Serbian State Security Service Jovica Stanišić, former Interior Ministry official Vlastimir Đorđević, wartime Serbian Interior Ministry official Sreten Lukić, and former State Security Special Operations Unit commander Milorad “Legija” Ulemek. The indictment was submitted in absentia because the authorities were unable to ensure the suspects’ attendance. Several of the suspects are already serving or have served sentences for war crimes or other offences. Given the limited legal cooperation between Kosovo and Serbia regarding war-crimes cases, most of the suspects are unlikely to be present for trial.
International Peace & Security Section
Colombia: Military Strike on Armed Groups Kills Three Children
On 31 August 2026, it was reported that three children were killed as part of recent military strikes on armed groups in Colombia. The deaths occurred during a military operation on 27 August in the southern Guaviare department against a dissident faction of the now inoperative Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The air strike reportedly killed 10 people in total, marking the deadliest operation since President Abelardo de la Espriella took office earlier in August. Authorities say military operations have killed 24 suspected rebels since his presidency began. De la Espriella has vowed to crack down on armed groups in the country, rejecting the peace negotiation strategies adopted by his predecessors. He called out decades-long child recruitment by armed groups on X, saying they must “pay for these crimes that violate International Humanitarian Law.” The week before, Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a report documenting rising child recruitment by armed groups in Colombia. The human rights group found that criminal and rebel groups are recruiting children with impunity, often via social media. Meanwhile, algorithms on platforms such as Meta and TikTok have facilitated and even promoted recruitment. The group called out failing protection systems for affected children.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/31/three-minors-killed-in-colombia-armed-group-crackdown
Nepal: UN Agencies Warn of Consequences of Flash Floods on Women and Girls and Access to Health Care
On 1 September 2026, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that over 1,000 people have been killed by the recent flash floods in Nepal and 4,247 more remain missing. Humanitarian groups, including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), have only been able to access hard-hit areas almost a week after the floods began. UN Women, the UN’s women’s rights agency, raised alarm over the devastating impact of the floods on women and girls, some 43,000 of whom are now in need of immediate humanitarian aid, including food and water. The agency’s Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, Christine Arab, called attention to existing inequalities that are only exacerbated when disaster hits. Women and girls in Nepal’s Rasuwa district already faced difficulties accessing water; now, the destruction of water systems, roads, and bridges has completely cut off access to safe water. Arab also warned that disasters like the flash floods heighten the risk of gender-based violence, exploitation, and trafficking, while making protection services more difficult to access. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) said it is prioritising access to health care, while also tracking indirect public health consequences. For example, the agency is monitoring a potential rise in disease outbreaks such as dengue and scrub typhus, which may spread more quickly due to factors like overcrowding, displacement, and unsafe water.
UN: Experts Urge Accountability and End to Unlawful Killings at Sea by the US
On 1 September 2026, a group of UN experts pressed for the US to end its unlawful killings at sea. Since 2 September 2025, US military strikes have hit at least 68 vessels in international waters, killing 223 people in total. In the majority of cases, the strikes killed everyone on board and in others left people missing, in violation of the right to life. The US government has justified the strikes by saying the vessels were trafficking drugs for groups it has legally designated as terrorist organisations. The UN experts, however, dismissed such claims, stressing that under international humanitarian law, there is no armed conflict between the US and alleged drug cartels and gangs. The US government’s systematic killings of individuals at sea are not carried out in self-defence and are therefore “extrajudicial and unlawful.” The UN officials also highlighted that the attacks may be a crime against maritime safety, potentially granting other governments jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute them. While drug trafficking-related organised crime can harm public safety and lives, the experts said that governments must address these threats in ways that respect international human rights law. They called for US strikes to be urgently, thoroughly, and impartially investigated, in line with international law. They also pressed for those responsible to be held to account, and for full reparations for victims and their families.
Afghanistan: UNAMA Report Finds Lasting Civilian Harm Due to Decades-Long Conflict
On 1 September 2026, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) released a report documenting widespread civilian harm in Afghanistan, including deaths, injury, displacement, and long-term socioeconomic consequences, due to decades of conflict. Based on interviews with some 200 victims and their families, the report focuses on the period 2009-2021, which included fighting between coalition and coalition-backed government forces, the Taliban, and other militant groups. 40,000 civilians were killed and more than 77,000 wounded during this period, the UN mission said. The report also found that people in Afghanistan have suffered long-term emotional, psychological, and physical harm as a result of the conflict. Injuries and disabilities have prevented some interviewees from attending school and working, impacting their and their families’ livelihoods. Economic precarity is even more acute for widowed women, due to the severe Taliban-imposed restrictions that limit their access to employment. The UN mission also found that victims of the conflict have not seen justice. Victims who did try to seek compensation and redress (less than half of those interviewed) faced challenges, and most reported that their efforts were unsuccessful. UNAMA urged for a response to Afghanistan’s decades-long conflict that acknowledges the long-term harm inflicted on civilians and meaningfully centres the needs and rights of victims.
US-Iran: Renewed Strikes Follow a Monthlong Pause in Fighting
On 1 September 2026, it was reported that Iran fired on US-allied countries in the Gulf in retaliation for US strikes on Iran that included a deadly strike on a wedding. Iran struck Kuwait, Bahrain, and Iraq, as well as a US base in Jordan over the weekend, with the missiles targeting the bases intercepted. No casualties were reported from these strikes. Meanwhile, the US struck the small coastal town of Kuhestak, overlooking the Strait of Hormuz. This included an attack on a home hosting a wedding party, which Iranian state media said killed four people, including two children, and injured at least 68 more. The recent escalation in attacks follows a month of paused fighting between the US and Iran. Now entering its seventh month, the US-Iran war has raised oil prices, agitated global markets, and stretched US military resources. Meanwhile, sanctions and a US naval blockade have continued to severely impact Iran’s economy. Security and economic experts say the recent uptick in strikes is due to both countries’ attempts to control oil prices, with the US trying to steady global markets while Iran seeks to destabilise them. Experts also say that the current scale of fighting is unsustainable and might only end with an escalation into full-scale war. Although a ceasefire deal was reached in June, it quickly broke down following further strikes between both countries.
https://www.rte.ie/news/middle-east/2026/0902/1590024-middle-east/
UN: General Assembly Warns of Civilian Casualties and Damage to Infrastructure in Ukraine
On 2 September 2026, Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, provided a briefing that included an update on Ukraine, citing a UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) report that attacks across Ukraine over the preceding days had caused significant civilian casualties and widespread damage to civilian infrastructure in major urban centres, including Kyiv and Odesa. The Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, reported a growing pattern of strikes on shopping centres, warehouses, railways, and energy infrastructure, stressing that such attacks must never be normalised. Humanitarian workers were also affected: a missile strike damaged the warehouses and vehicles of a non-governmental organisation partner in Sumy, while a drone strike hit an evacuation bus operated by another local partner in the Donetsk region. This followed a 1 September meeting of the UNGA, at which the UNGA President warned that there was “no safe space left” in Ukraine, noting that civilian casualties in the first half of 2026 were 114% higher than in the same period of 2024. Member States expressed alarm at the scale of attacks on civilian infrastructure, including residential buildings, schools, and hospitals across the country. UN officials called for respect for international humanitarian law and urged renewed diplomatic efforts towards a full and unconditional ceasefire.
UN: OCHA Briefs Palestinian Rights Committee on Deteriorating Conditions Across the OPT
On 2 September 2026, the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP) held its 430th meeting, adopting its annual report and receiving a briefing from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on the humanitarian situation across the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). The OCHA described conditions as “deeply alarming,” with few words adequate to convey the scale of suffering in Gaza. In the West Bank, since the beginning of 2026, 79 Palestinians, including 19 children, had been killed and approximately 1,870 injured; of those, 23 Palestinians were killed and over 1,040 injured in incidents involving settlers. More than 900 movement obstacles continue to restrict access to essential services and livelihoods, and in 2026 more than 3,700 people have been displaced as a result of demolitions, settler violence, and access restrictions, bringing to 47 the number of communities completely displaced since 2023. Compounding these conditions, the World Food Programme (WFP) announced that food assistance in the West Bank will be cut by half, reducing the number of people reached each month from 400,000 to 200,000, at a time when the need for food assistance has more than doubled. OCHA warned that further deterioration cannot be permitted, calling for scaled-up international support to prevent the situation from deepening into full humanitarian collapse.
UN: Security Council Hears of First Verified Chemical Weapons Destruction Since 2014 in Syria
On 3 September 2026, the UN Security Council convened its 10,217th meeting to receive a briefing on efforts to implement Security Council resolution 2118 (2013), which requires the complete elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons programme, including the verification and destruction of all declared stockpiles. Izumi Nakamitsu, the UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, informed the Council that, for the first time since 2014, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) had verified the destruction of chemical munitions in Syria. An OPCW team deployed in August had confirmed the irreversible destruction of 42 aerial bombs classified as category-three chemical weapons, meaning unfilled munitions and equipment used to deliver chemical agents. Nakamitsu reported that, since Syria’s new government located remnants of the Assad-era programme in May 2026, it had further disclosed one additional chemical weapons production facility, a previously unknown chemical used in the production of nerve agents, empty chemical munitions, and two chemical weapons storage facilities. The OPCW Executive Council had also taken the historic step of reinstating Syria’s rights and privileges under the Chemical Weapons Convention, which had been suspended since 2021 in the context of the former regime’s use of chemical weapons. Syria’s ambassador to the UN noted that 18 suspects had been taken into custody for alleged involvement in the programme, and that the first court hearing of those accused was being prepared. He cautioned, however, that Israeli strikes on Syrian territory had impeded search-and-destruction operations and exposed personnel to risk.
https://press.un.org/en/2026/db260903.doc.htm