The US Senate on Thursday approved an amendment to repeal two authorizations for the use of military force (AUMFs) in Iraq, a significant push to restore Congressional war-making powers more than 20 years after the 2003 invasion. SA 3337, a bipartisan amendment sponsored by Senators Tim Kaine and Todd Young, was passed as part of [...]
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Houthi authorities in Yemen urged to restore access to independent news outlet
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Wednesday called on Houthi de facto authorities in Yemen to immediately restore access to independent news platform Barran Press, following reports of a nationwide access ban on the outlet. Barran Press, which is based in the government-controlled city of Marib, east of Yemen’s capital Sanaa, first reported the [...]
Iran to cooperate with UN nuclear watchdog despite security concerns
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday said that Iran plans to cooperate with the UN nuclear watchdog despite restrictions imposed by its Parliament. He also emphasized that entering the bombed nuclear sites poses security and safety issues. The Iranian parliament previously passed a law requiring the government to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic [...]
Iran president signs law suspending cooperation with International Atomic Energy Agency
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday signed into law a parliamentary bill passed last week that suspends cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations nuclear watchdog. The “Law on obligating the government to suspend cooperation with the IAEA,” was passed during a parliamentary session and garnered the overwhelming support of the [...]
UN secretary-general urges Israel and Iran to exercise restraint and avoid deeper conflict
UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday urged both Iran and Israel to exercise “maximum restraint” to prevent deeper conflict. The statement comes amid a sudden escalation between the two states following Israel’s attacks on various nuclear installations in Iran. Condemning the Israeli strikes, the statement from the secretary-general’s office expressed concerns about a wider conflagration [...]
Trump decision to lift US sanctions on Syria welcomed by Refugees International
Refugees International (RI) stated Wednesday that it welcomes US President Donald Trump’s decision to lift US sanctions on Syria, calling it a crucial step toward recovery after years of devastating conflict. Sanctions originally intended to prevent war profiteering backfired, RI noted, hurting civilians by blocking humanitarian aid. Their removal, following interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa’s rise [...]
Israel's Survival in a 'State of Nature': Unprecedented Obligations of Law and Strategy
Facing recurrent cycles of terror-violence in a “state of nature,” Israel must defend itself in both law and strategy. Though generally unacknowledged, this dual-level defense could prove gainful not just for Israel, but also for other “civilized nations” in world politics. A patently core obligation, it is universal in scope and justice-seeking in objective. Multiple [...]
USAID cuts cause closure of support program for Iraqi torture and disappearance survivors
An UN spokesperson announced Tuesday that USAID funding cancellations have resulted in the closure of a UN human rights program intended on helping torture victims and the families of missing persons in Iraq. Speaking to the media at a Geneva press conference, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani stated, [...]
People of the World as the Enforcers of International Law: Takeaways from the Rojava Tribunal
In this long read op-ed for JURIST by Shadi Sadr, a human rights lawyer and PhD candidate at Leiden University, Sadr discusses the Rojava Tribunal, a session of the Permanent People’s Tribunal, focusing on alleged international law violations by Turkey in Rojava, Syria. Held in a complex geopolitical context, the tribunal charges included aggression and [...]
HRW urges repatriation of thousands trapped in Syrian detainment camps
Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on countries Friday to urgently repatriate their nationals from Syrian detainment camps, where thousands remain trapped in life-threatening conditions. The organization urged governments to fulfil their international legal obligations by prosecuting those responsible for crimes and supporting reintegration efforts. It also criticized the US government’s recent suspension of foreign aid [...]