Weekly News Recap (2 - 8 November 2026)
© Photo by User:Colin via Flickr
International Justice Section
ICC: Pre-Trial Chamber Confirms Jurisdiction in Case Against Osama Elmasry Njeem
ICJ: Judgment in The Gambia v. Myanmar Genocide Case Scheduled for 19 November 2026
ECtHR: Finds North Macedonia Violated Fair-Trial Rights in Sexual-Abuse Conviction
UK: Supreme Court Hears Appeal Challenging Palestine Action’s Proscription
Hong Kong: Court Sentences Joshua Wong to 10 Years Under National Security Law
Macao: Court Sentences Former Pro-Democracy Politician to 12.5 Years Under National Security Law
International Peace & Security Section
Myanmar: At Least 15 Killed as Military Airstrikes Hit School and Maternity Clinic
Ethiopia: WHO Warns Renewed Violence Pushing Health System Towards Collapse
UNESCO: Warns of Rising Impunity for Killings of Journalists Globally
Nigeria: At Least Eight Security Personnel Killed by Gunmen in Zamfara State
UN: Warns of Risks of Ending Peacekeeping Missions in Lebanon and Western Sahara
Ukraine: Russian Strikes Cause Power and Water Disruptions in Kyiv
Egypt: UN Human Rights Experts Raise Alarm Over Repression of Journalists
US: Imposes Sanctions on Turkish and Indian Companies Accused of Helping Iran
International Justice Section
ICC: Pre-Trial Chamber Confirms Jurisdiction in Case Against Osama Elmasry Njeem
On 2 November 2026, Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC) unanimously confirmed that the Court has jurisdiction over the case against Osama Elmasry Njeem, who is suspected of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed at Mitiga Prison in Libya from February 2015 onwards. The decision followed a Defence challenge arguing that the case fell outside the Court’s jurisdiction and was inadmissible under Articles 17 and 19 of the Rome Statute. Judges Motoc and Alapini-Gansou considered that the alleged conduct remained covered by UN Security Council Resolution 1970 (2011), while Judge Flores Liera agreed with the jurisdictional finding on the basis of Libya’s declaration under Article 12(3) of the Statute, reiterating her differing interpretation of Resolution 1970. The Chamber, however, deferred its decision on admissibility, emphasising the principle of complementarity. It granted the Defence until 29 January 2027 to submit additional information relevant to the challenge, including updates on proceedings allegedly taking place in Libya, and invited Libya to provide observations by the same deadline. The Chamber will rule on admissibility in due course and Njeem remains outside ICC custody.
ICJ: Judgment in The Gambia v. Myanmar Genocide Case Scheduled for 19 November 2026
On 3 November 2026, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) announced that it will deliver its judgment in the case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (The Gambia v. Myanmar: 11 States intervening) on Thursday 19 November 2026. The judgment will be read out by Judge Iwasawa Yuji, President of the Court, in a public sitting at 10 a.m. at the Peace Palace in The Hague. The Gambia instituted proceedings on 11 November 2019, alleging that Myanmar had breached its obligations under the Genocide Convention. It requests, among other measures, that the Court declare that Myanmar has breached its obligations under the Genocide Convention, that the Court order Myanmar to cease any ongoing violations, provide reparation to Rohingya victims of genocidal acts, and provide guarantees of non-repetition.
https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/case-related/178/178-20261103-pre-01-00-en.pdf
Philippines: Lawyers File Petition Before Court of Appeals to Compel DOJ to Investigate Alleged War Crimes by Myanmar Junta
On 3 November 2026, Filipino human rights lawyers Rommel Bagares and Gilbert Andres filed a petition before the Philippine Court of Appeals, seeking to compel authorities to act on their complaint concerning alleged crimes committed by Myanmar’s military junta. The lawyers are representing at least five victims from Myanmar’s Chin State affected by human rights violations under the military junta, and filed a petition for certiorari and mandamus, asking the Court to direct the Department of Justice (DOJ) to initiate a preliminary investigation into alleged war crimes involving Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing and other military officials. The lawyers originally submitted their complaint to the DOJ in October 2023. In February 2024, the DOJ declined to take cognisance of the complaint. The lawyers subsequently filed a Motion for Reconsideration in April 2024. After receiving no resolution, they filed two separate Motions to Resolve; the first in April 2025 and the second in July 2026. With the matter still unresolved by the DOJ, they filed a petition before the Court of Appeals. The victims travelled from Myanmar to seek legal action in the Philippines. They reportedly endured widespread arson and artillery attacks on their homes and religious buildings. The lawyers are relying on the Philippines’ International Humanitarian Law Act (Republic Act No. 9851), which provides for universal jurisdiction over certain international crimes.
ECtHR: Finds North Macedonia Violated Fair-Trial Rights in Sexual-Abuse Conviction
On 3 November 2026, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) found that North Macedonia had violated Article 6 (1) and 3(d) of the European Convention on Human Rights in the case B.G. v. North Macedonia, concerning the criminal proceedings against a man convicted of sexually abusing a minor. The conviction relied decisively on the child victim’s pre-trial testimony, which had been recorded in the presence of a prosecutor and other professionals but without the applicant or his lawyer. The Court accepted that there were good reasons not to examine the child at trial, given the need to protect her from secondary victimisation. However, it found that the authorities had failed to provide sufficient safeguards for the defence during the pre-trial interview. In particular, the applicant had not been clearly informed of the possibility of submitting written questions, and the authorities had not enabled his lawyer to participate indirectly in the interview, as permitted under domestic law. The Court also noted that the domestic courts had failed to examine the defence’s concerns about leading questions or approach the child’s testimony with sufficient caution. It concluded that the available counterbalancing safeguards had been insufficient to ensure a fair trial.
ECtHR: Finds Türkiye Violated Article 3 over Prolonged Confinement of Prisoners in Pre-Trial Detention in Single Cells
On 3 November 2026, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) found that Türkiye had violated Article 3 (prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment) of the European Convention on Human Rights in the case Gökçe and Others v. Türkiye, in relation to two prisoners held in single cells for extended periods. The case concerned four former public officials who were held in pre-trial detention on terrorism-related charges and subsequently placed in single cells on security and administrative grounds, with varying restrictions on contact with other prisoners. The third applicant spent approximately six years and eight months in a single cell, while the fourth was held for around one year and five months. The Court found that the authorities had failed to provide sufficiently individualised reasons for maintaining the restrictive regimes or to reassess their necessity over time. In the third applicant’s case, it also considered the prolonged absence of contact with other prisoners, sleep disturbances, and deterioration in mental health. In the fourth applicant’s case, it emphasised the particularly limited outdoor exercise, lack of social activities and absence of meaningful judicial review. The Court concluded that the cumulative conditions amounted to degrading treatment. It found no violation in respect of the first and second applicants, although Judge Arnardóttir dissented concerning the second applicant.
UK: Supreme Court Hears Appeal Challenging Palestine Action’s Proscription
On 4 November 2026, the United Kingdom Supreme Court began hearing a two-day appeal challenging the government’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation in July 2025. Huda Ammori, the group’s co-founder, is contesting the designation on the grounds that it disproportionately restricts freedom of expression and the right to protest. Under the proscription, membership of or support for Palestine Action constitutes a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years’ imprisonment. Ammori argues that the designation criminalises legitimate protest, while Amnesty International, Liberty, and other rights organisations have also criticised its implications for civil liberties. The challenge follows the government’s decision to proscribe the group after activists entered RAF Brize Norton and spray-painted two military aircraft. The appeal asks the Court to consider the legality of the designation and its implications for fundamental rights. The Supreme Court has yet to deliver its judgment.
Hong Kong: Court Sentences Pro-Democracy Activist to 10 Years Under National Security Law
On 5 November 2026, Hong Kong’s High Court sentenced pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong to 10 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to conspiring to collude with foreign forces under the National Security Law. Wong, who has been in custody since 2020, was expected to be released in January 2027. Two months of the new sentence will run concurrently with his existing sentence. The charge concerned an alleged conspiracy with activist Nathan Law and others to urge foreign governments to impose sanctions or blockades against Hong Kong and Chinese officials. The prosecution relied substantially on Wong’s international lobbying and advocacy, including activities predating the National Security Law’s entry into force in June 2020, according to Human Rights Watch. Judge William Tam considered 13 years as the starting point, reducing the sentence to 10 years in light of Wong’s guilty plea and mitigating circumstances. He classified the offence as being of a “grave nature”, for which the law prescribes 10 years to life imprisonment. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International criticised the sentence, arguing that it punished peaceful political expression.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/11/05/hong-kong-joshua-wong-gets-nearly-10-more-years-in-prison
Macao: Court Sentences Former Pro-Democracy Politician to 12.5 Years Under National Security Law
On 6 November 2026, the Court of First Instance in Macao sentenced former pro-democracy politician Au Kam-san to 12 and a half years in prison following a closed-door trial. Au was convicted of subverting state power, stemming from his dissemination of false information with the aim of disrupting the 2024 election in Macao. He was also found guilty of collaborating with “hostile organisations” abroad and disclosing confidential information. Au’s wife described the trial as politically motivated persecution. The case marked the first prosecution under Macao’s 2009 national security law. Human Rights Watch criticised the conviction, warning that it could discourage peaceful criticism in the territory.
International Peace & Security Section
Myanmar: At Least 15 Killed as Military Airstrikes Hit School and Maternity Clinic
On 2 November 2026, it was reported that at least 15 civilians were killed and a further 32 injured in Myanmar military airstrikes across Rakhine and Karenni states. In Rakhine State, 12 people were killed when strikes hit residential areas in Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, Pauktaw, and Kyaukphyu townships. Among those killed in Mrauk-U was a newborn baby, who died when a makeshift clinic and maternity ward collapsed following an airstrike. Additionally, four other people were killed, including healthcare workers. Separately, on 31 October, a Myanmar military aircraft bombed a school in Loikaw township, Karenni State, resulting in the deaths of three children and injuries to eight others while they were attending classes. Banyar Khun Aung, secretary of the Karenni Interim Executive Council, described the targeting of children in a school as “an inhumane act that amounts to a war crime.” The attacks occurred amid Myanmar’s ongoing civil war, which intensified following the 2021 military coup. According to the UN, approximately 100,000 people have been killed and about 3.5 million displaced.
Ethiopia: WHO Warns Renewed Violence Pushing Health System Towards Collapse
On 2 November 2026, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for greater protection for civilians amid escalating violence in northern Ethiopia. Ghebreyesus described attacks against civilians in the Amhara and Tigray regions as “deeply disturbing.” It was reported that children, including a newborn, were among those killed in an attack on the Jaari 2 displacement camp in Amhara, while several people were reportedly killed in an attack in the town of Rama, Tigray, as they tried to obtain food. In September, fighting flared up once again between Ethiopian Government forces and rebel groups in the Amhara, Tigray, and Afar regions, unravelling a peace deal signed nearly four years earlier. Tedros warned that the escalation in violence in the northern part of the country “is pushing an already fragile health system closer to collapse,” with hospitals facing shortages of health workers, medicines, and equipment, while rising insecurity is also obstructing the delivery of medical supplies to some regions.
UNESCO: Warns of Rising Impunity for Killings of Journalists Globally
On 2 November 2026, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reported that impunity for journalist killings is on the rise. In its latest report on the “Safety of Journalists and the Danger of Impunity,” published every two years, the UN cultural agency said that nobody was held accountable for 86% of journalist killings in 2024-2025. Most journalists were killed in conflict zones, where the rate of impunity is even higher. At the same time, technological developments, such as the increased use of drones in conflict, are posing an even greater threat to their lives. The report documents that during 2024-2025, 50 journalists were killed by drone strikes, accounting for 40% of journalists killed in war zones. It also reports that 15 journalists were killed while wearing ‘Press’ vests or in vehicles marked ‘Press’. The region with the most cases was the Arab States, with Palestine recording the highest number of killings in both 2024 and 2025. The agency also highlighted the particular threats faced by women journalists. Nevertheless, the report showed reason for hope, with both journalist killings and impunity in non-conflict zones on the decline.
Nigeria: At Least Eight Security Personnel Killed by Gunmen in Zamfara State
On 3 November 2026, at least eight security personnel were killed when a vehicle transporting them from Sokoto State to Zamfara State was attacked by gunmen in northwestern Nigeria. Among those killed were five Nigerian police officers and three members of the Zamfara Community Protection Guard (CPG), a state-backed vigilante unit that supports security operations. The armed group, referred to locally as bandits, ambushed the vehicle transporting the security personnel along the Sokoto-Gusau highway. According to police, the officers were travelling to provide security for the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election when they were killed. The attack underscores the ongoing insecurity in northwestern Nigeria, where armed groups regularly attack rural communities and kidnap residents for ransom.
UN: Warns of Risks of Ending Peacekeeping Missions in Lebanon and Western Sahara
On 4 November 2026, the UN’s peacekeeping chief, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, warned of serious security risks from the withdrawal of UN missions from Lebanon and Western Sahara. In Lebanon, some 7,500 peacekeeping forces have patrolled the border with Israel since 1978 and are set to pull out at the end of the year. The forces monitor violations, facilitate the passage of humanitarian aid, and act as a third party between Lebanese and Israeli forces. The UN Security Council has still not decided what, if anything, should substitute them. Meanwhile, in Western Sahara, the Security Council could not agree on the renewal of the UN’s mission there, resulting in it ending operations on 31 October. The mission was set up 35 years ago to monitor a ceasefire between Morocco and the Polisario Front, a Sahrawi nationalist liberation movement. Although it was instituted to hold a self-determination referendum, this never came about and fighting resumed between parties in 2020. Following the mission’s dissolution, the UN expressed its commitment to finding a solution to the conflict, including one that ensures the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. Lacroix also highlighted threats to UN peacekeepers worldwide, including due to emerging technologies like drones.
Ukraine: Russian Strikes Cause Power and Water Disruptions in Kyiv
On 4 November 2026, it was reported that Russian overnight assaults left Kyiv and neighbouring areas without electricity and running water for several hours, with residents directed to public fountains and emergency centres. Ukraine’s air force said Moscow launched 310 drones, of which it neutralised 272. Also on Wednesday, international officials met in Brussels to plan Ukraine’s postwar reconstruction ahead of new US-brokered peace talks next week. Ukraine’s anti-corruption bureau also exposed an alleged bribery scheme involving senior security and police officials, while Russia claimed to have downed 709 Ukrainian drones. Meanwhile, President Zelenskyy said the death toll from Monday’s strikes in the village of Komyshuvakha had risen to 40, with roughly 30 more people possibly trapped under rubble. Zelenskyy demanded a firm international response to this attack, one of the deadliest strikes in the area in nearly five years of war. Mykhailo Semikin, acting head of the regional military administration, said the search for survivors in Komyshuvakha was hampered by Russian drones.
https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-kyiv-airstrike-water-37dc5e85a5c8c135996bc2720e0674d9
Egypt: UN Human Rights Experts Raise Alarm Over Repression of Journalists
On 5 November 2026, a group of UN experts raised concerns about the targeting of six journalists from the Matsadaash investigative media platform. The journalists, who make up Matsadaash’s entire newsroom, were arrested, forcibly disappeared, and detained by Egyptian authorities. They face terrorism-related charges, which in Egypt carry the death penalty. Authorities allegedly tortured and subjected the journalists to ill treatment after arresting them. The UN experts highlighted that such actions seriously harm human rights, specifically because victims of enforced disappearance are placed outside the protection of the law. They situated the events within a broader pattern of repression in Egypt, in which authorities have cracked down on civil society, independent media, and human rights, also targeting journalists and critics abroad. The experts called on Egypt to respect its obligations under international human rights law by protecting the fundamental rights to freedom of expression and opinion. They also called for the immediate release of Matsadaash’s journalists, and for due process guarantees for detained people.
US: Imposes Sanctions on Turkish and Indian Companies Accused of Helping Iran
On 5 November 2026, it was reported that the US imposed sanctions on companies and individuals in India and Türkiye, freezing US assets of those targeted and barring US nationals from doing business with them. The US Department of Treasury said it was targeting a “vast criminal network” that allegedly helped Iran bypass restrictions on its oil exports and airlines. This includes Suniel Kumar Sharma and his wife, Jaspreet Preeti Shahid, based in Chandigarh in India, as well as two other Indian nationals who run their businesses and nine entities connected to Sharma. The Treasury claimed that the couple misrepresented themselves as the maritime authorities for several countries, such as Guyana, Eswatini, and Laos, and permitted sanctioned vessels with Iranian oil to keep operating, including vessels working for Iranian authorities and their allies. Sanctions were also imposed on the Türkiye-based company Fugo Ground Services, which the Treasury claimed had serviced US-sanctioned Iranian airlines flying to Türkiye. The sanctions form part of the US government’s efforts to disrupt Iran’s oil revenue and hinder its war funding.