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War crimes

Julian Assange Is Finally Free; Let’s Not Forget The War Crimes He Exposed

June 29, 2024 Marjorie Cohn, Truthout. , , ,
After a 14-year struggle, including five years spent in Belmarsh, a maximum-security prison in London, WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange is finally free. Under the terms of a plea deal with the U.S. Department of Justice, Assange pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to obtain documents, writings and notes connected with the national defense under the Espionage Act. Assange was facing 175 years in prison for 18 charges in the indictment filed by the Trump administration and pursued by the Biden administration. The Justice Department agreed to the plea bargain a little over a month after the High Court of England and Wales ruled that Assange would be allowed to appeal an extradition order.

UN Commission Accuses Israel Of Committing ‘Crimes Against Humanity’

June 13, 2024 Abdul Rahman, People's Dispatch. , , , , , , , ,
The report specifically accuses Israel of committing “crimes against humanity of extermination, murder, gender persecution targeting Palestinian men and boys; forcible transfer; and torture and inhuman and cruel treatment,” and recommends accountability for such crimes. Although the report claims that both sides indulged in indiscriminate killings and sexual violence, it states that Israel has launched “a widespread and systematic attack directed against the civilian population in Gaza” with the intent to cause maximum damage, “disregarding the principles of distinction, proportionality and adequate precaution.”

United Kingdom Foreign Office Revolt Over Gaza

June 5, 2024 Matt Benson, Consortium News. , , , ,
Amid Britain’s ongoing complicity and support for Israel’s “plausible genocide” in Gaza, an increasing number of staff in the Foreign Office, I’m told up to 300, have formally raised concerns with ministers, seeking a change of course. They are questioning ministers’ actions and policy in relation to Gaza and asking to see the legal advice they received that this is based on — advice that they have so far refused to publish, despite calls to do so from some in Parliament. But Foreign Secretary David Cameron has not responded to these concerns directly. Instead, he sent the Foreign Office’s political director, Christian Turner, to have a meeting with a small contingent of those raising concerns about U.K. policy and breaches of international humanitarian law in Gaza.

Following ICJ And ICC Actions, Sanctions And Arms Embargo Are Crucial Next Steps

June 2, 2024 Marjorie Cohn, Truthout. , , , , , , , , ,
Seven months into its genocidal campaign, Israel’s assault on Rafah led the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to issue a preliminary order on May 24. The court called on Israel to “Immediately halt its military offensive, and any other action in the Rafah Governorate, which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.” It also ordered Israel to keep the Rafah crossing open and permit United Nations investigative commissions to enter Gaza and investigate allegations of genocide. In addition, mounting Israeli atrocities propelled Karim Khan, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), to seek arrest warrants on May 20 against top Israeli officials.

A Texas Company Is Providing The Jet Fuel For Israel’s Assault On Gaza

June 1, 2024 Michael Arria, Mondoweiss. , , , , , , , ,
A new report calls on United States companies to stop supplying Israel’s military with jet fuel and recommends an embargo to achieve this goal. “Many credible sources have documented crimes under international law being committed by Israel in the context of its ongoing military campaign in Gaza,” reads a briefing from the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO). “These include indiscriminate attacks leading to massive loss of civilian life and targeting of civilian infrastructure amongst other acts which constitute war crimes. Multiple sources, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and UN human rights experts have documented indiscriminate attacks by air which have resulted in catastrophic civilian casualties.

How The ICC Case Against Israeli Leaders Was Made Possible

May 30, 2024 Qassam Muaddi, Mondoweiss. , , , ,
The request for international arrest warrants against Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and war minister Yoav Gallant, alongside three Hamas leaders, came as a surprise to many, not least of which Israel. For what was likely a first, its top leaders were being confronted judicially for their violations of international law. Although Israel had been spying on the International Criminal Court (ICC) for years, as revealed in a recent exposé by The Guardian, the outrage Netanyahu displayed betrayed indignation at the fact that the wall of impunity for Israeli leaders was showing signs of cracking. For Palestinians, the news was long-awaited. Palestinian human rights groups have been tirelessly campaigning for such a move for years.

Israeli Spy Chief ‘Threatened’ ICC Prosecutor Over War Crimes Inquiry

May 30, 2024 Harry Davies, The Guardian. , , , , , ,
The former head of the Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence agency, allegedly threatened a chief prosecutor of the international criminal court in a series of secret meetings in which he tried to pressure her into abandoning a war crimes investigation, the Guardian can reveal. Yossi Cohen’s covert contacts with the ICC’s then prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, took place in the years leading up to her decision to open a formal investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in occupied Palestinian territories. That investigation, launched in 2021, culminated last week when Bensouda’s successor, Karim Khan, announced that he was seeking an arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, over the country’s conduct in its war in Gaza.

Philly Health Workers Say: ‘Bombing Hospitals Is A War Crime!’

May 28, 2024 Marie Kelly, Workers' World. , , , , , , , , ,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Philly Health Care Workers for Palestine (HCWL4Pal Philly), Families for Ceasefire, Drexel University Medical Students for Palestine, and the Philly Palestine Coalition gathered at Seger Park, just blocks away from Philadelphia’s Independence Hall on May 19. The purpose of the rally and march was to emphasize their unwavering support for health care workers in Gaza. Preparation for the event included art builds and securing speakers who could talk about the ongoing genocide and how it is has decimated the health care system in Gaza, targeting doctors, nurses and aid workers with unspeakable atrocities.

US Congress Warns: If ICC Tries Israeli Officials, ‘America Will Be Next’

May 28, 2024 Ben Norton, Geopolitical Economy. , , , , , , ,
The speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, said Congress plans to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC). He warned that, if the ICC prosecutes Israeli officials, “we know that America will be next”. This came after ICC chief Prosecutor Karim Khan applied for arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Republican Representative Johnson, the most powerful person in the House, blasted the ICC in a press conference on May 23. “America should punish the ICC and put Karim Khan back in his place”, he insisted.

Wanted By International Criminal Court, Netanyahu To Address Congress

May 26, 2024 News Desk, The Cradle. , , , , , , , , , , ,
Mike Johnson, Republican Speaker of the US House of Representatives, said on 23 May that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will soon address a joint meeting of the Congress. “Tonight, I’m happy to announce ... we will soon be hosting Prime Minister Netanyahu at the Capitol for a joint session of Congress,” Johnson said during a speech at an Israeli embassy event. Johnson said during the speech that Netanyahu’s upcoming address will be “a strong show of support for the Israeli government in their time of greatest need.” The announcement comes as officials from the administration of US President Joe Biden have made increasingly critical comments on Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza.

Hamas Denounces ICC Decision On Warrants Against Its Leaders

May 22, 2024 Workers' World. , , , , ,
The Public Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court issued arrest and detention warrants against a number of leaders of the Zionist occupation.  The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) followed up on the arrest and detention warrants issued today by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court against only two war criminals of the Zionist entity. They are “Benjamin Netanyahu” and “Yoav Gallant,” who were proven to be involved in committing the crime of genocide, aggression and crimes against humanity against the Palestinian people. The arrest and detention warrants against the aforementioned occupation leaders came seven months late.

Tribunal Finds US-Backed Philippine Government Committed War Crimes

May 21, 2024 Marjorie Cohn, Truthout. , , ,
Gaza is not the only place where Joe Biden’s government is aiding and abetting atrocities. Following a hearing on May 17-18, the International People’s Tribunal on War Crimes in the Philippines found Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, U.S. President Joe Biden, and the U.S. government guilty of war crimes and violations of international humanitarian law against the Filipino people. Eleven witnesses were victims, family members or colleagues of victims. Four, including me, testified as expert witnesses or resource persons. I provided expert testimony on the right to self-determination, national liberation movements and violations of international humanitarian law.

The Heroism Of David McBride

May 16, 2024 John Kiriakou, Consortium News. , , , , ,
Sometimes a whistleblower does everything right.  He or she makes a revelation that is clearly in the public interest.  The revelation is clearly a violation of the law.  And then he or she is even more clearly abused by the government. It would be great if these stories always had happy endings.  Unfortunately, they don’t. In this case, the whistleblower, the hero, Australian David McBride has been sentenced to five years and eight months in prison for telling the truth.  He will not be eligible for parole for 27 months. David McBride is former British Army officer and a lawyer with the Australian Special Forces who blew the whistle on war crimes committed by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan, specifically the killing of 39 unarmed Afghan prisoners, farmers, and civilians in 2012.

Whistleblower McBride Sentenced To Five Years, Eight Months

May 15, 2024 Joe Lauria and Cathy Vogan, Consortium News. , , , ,
A federal judge in Canberra, the Australian capital, has sentenced military whistleblower David McBride to nearly six years in prison for leaking classified material to the media that revealed Australian war crimes in Afghanistan. Supreme Court Justice David Massop ruled on Tuesday morning local time that “only a prison sentence is appropriate,” and handed down 68 months —  5 years and 8 months. Consortium News‘ Cathy Vogan, who is inside the courtroom, reported that McBride “will go to jail until 2030. He is led out of the court by three policemen. A woman takes his dog.”

US Senators Play Schoolyard Bully Against International Criminal Court

May 9, 2024 Margaret Kimberley, Black Agenda Report. , , , , ,
Despite the fact that the United States is not a member nation of the International Criminal Court (ICC), that organization has been under its sway from its inception. The ICC has only prosecuted Africans and a few Serbians who were accused of war crimes during the NATO-engineered breakup of the former Yugoslavia. The ICC has never issued an arrest warrant for Israel’s many documented war crimes. After Israeli officials publicly expressed concern that the ICC might issue arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and other high-ranking Israeli officials, U.S. pressure began in earnest. Recently a letter to the ICC signed by twelve republican senators was made public.
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