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Category: Law/Crime

In federal court, Palestinians accuse Biden of complicity in genocide

In federal court, Palestinians accuse Biden of complicity in genocide

The Intercept reports: At the hearing [in Oakland, CA], U.S. Judge Jeffrey S. White went to some length to state the impact of Israel’s war on Palestinian civilians and the U.S. government’s support for it but indicated the case might ultimately hinge on questions of jurisdiction. “The Palestinian people are living in fear and without food, medical care, clean water, or sufficient humanitarian aid. Defendants — the president of the United States and his secretaries of state and defense —…

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Trump’s secret plan to expand presidential immunity to ‘King George’ levels

Trump’s secret plan to expand presidential immunity to ‘King George’ levels

Rolling Stone reports: This month, Donald Trump’s lawyers have argued in a federal appeals court that he, as a former American president, is “absolutely” immune from criminal prosecution, possibly even if he were to order the assassination of his political enemies. But the arguments that Trump’s lawyers are currently litigating in public are just a preview of Trump and his allies’ private plans to dramatically expand presidential immunity, if he defeats Joe Biden in the 2024 election. According to two…

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American mercenaries hired by UAE to kill in Yemen

American mercenaries hired by UAE to kill in Yemen

  American mercenaries, hired by the UAE to kill in Yemen, have spoken candidly on camera for the first time in an investigation by BBC Arabic. At a time when Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping have highlighted the international dimensions of the Yemeni conflict, the investigation also reveals how US mercenaries trained Emirati officers to kill the UAE’s political enemies in Yemen. These extra-judicial killings, conducted in the name of counter-terrorism, started in 2015 and continue to this day.

International Court of Justice says Israel must immediately stop killing Palestinians in Gaza

International Court of Justice says Israel must immediately stop killing Palestinians in Gaza

By fifteen votes to two, the International Court of Justice indicated the following provisional measures: The State of Israel shall, in accordance with its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, in relation to Palestinians in Gaza, take all measures within its power to prevent the commission of all acts within the scope of Article II of this Convention, in particular: (a) killing members of the group; (b) causing serious bodily or mental…

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This momentous ICJ ruling may be brushed aside by Israel but its allies can’t afford to ignore it

This momentous ICJ ruling may be brushed aside by Israel but its allies can’t afford to ignore it

Steve Crawshaw writes: Israel will no doubt continue to pour scorn on the international court of justice (ICJ) in The Hague in the days and weeks to come. “Hague Shmague” was the first response from the security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir. But the provisional measures ordered by the world court today are historic, by any measure. The requirement that Israel must take steps to prevent genocidal acts, prevent and punish incitement to genocide, and report back on its actions within a…

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South Africa’s genocide case is a diplomatic win, after ‘damning’ verdict against Israel

South Africa’s genocide case is a diplomatic win, after ‘damning’ verdict against Israel

Reuters reports: South Africa’s genocide case against Israel may have ruffled feathers in the capitals of vital Western trading partners, but it has boosted the country’s standing as a champion of the downtrodden Global South. That gamble is likely to pay off, thanks to renewed rivalry for Africa’s minerals and U.N. votes between the West, China and Russia, turbocharged by Russia’s war on Ukraine. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) rejected Israel’s petition to throw out the case on Friday,…

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Israeli ICJ judge once supported use of hostages as ‘bargaining card’ but now votes to prevent genocide

Israeli ICJ judge once supported use of hostages as ‘bargaining card’ but now votes to prevent genocide

It is noteworthy that even the Israeli judge, Aharon Barak, joined the International Court of Justice (making it 16-1) on the points of preventing and punishing incitement to genocidal acts and allowing enough humanitarian aid to stop severe deprivation. https://t.co/2tqmN3cg7J — Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) January 26, 2024 In 1998, the New York Times reported: A three-judge panel of the Supreme Court today ended the secrecy of a four-month-old ruling in which it acknowledged and condoned the fact that Israel was…

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Defendants Biden, Blinken, and Austin accused in federal court of complicity in genocide

Defendants Biden, Blinken, and Austin accused in federal court of complicity in genocide

Having started my day with @CIJ_ICJ's momentous ruling that SA’s genocide claim against IS is “plausible” & its order of PM, I'll now head to the US Federal Court to testify against defendants @POTUS, @SecBlinken & @SecDef for their failure to prevent & complicity in #Genocide. pic.twitter.com/MezIGIncwn — Ahmed Abofoul | أحمد أبو فول (@AhmedAbofoul) January 26, 2024 Time reports: A federal court case filed against President Joe Biden and two U.S. cabinet officials for allegedly being complicit in Israel’s…

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Israel tries to rebut genocide charge by declassifying cherry-picked cabinet decisions

Israel tries to rebut genocide charge by declassifying cherry-picked cabinet decisions

The New York Times reports: Israel has declassified more than 30 secret orders made by government and military leaders, which it says rebut the charge that it committed genocide in Gaza, and instead show Israeli efforts to diminish deaths among Palestinian civilians. The release of the documents, copies of which were reviewed by The New York Times, follows a petition to the International Court of Justice by South Africa, which has accused Israel of genocide. Much of South Africa’s case…

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U.S. states had an estimated 65,000 rape-related pregnancies after banning abortion

U.S. states had an estimated 65,000 rape-related pregnancies after banning abortion

NPR reports: As an abortion provider in Montana, Dr. Samuel Dickman has seen patients routinely who tell him they became pregnant after a rape. His sense was the patients who were telling him were only a fraction of the true number. “There are certainly far more survivors of rape who become pregnant as a result, who — for totally understandable reasons — don’t want to disclose that fact to a medical provider that they just met.” Dickman used to live…

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How the Biden administration helps Israel sidestep U.S. human rights laws

How the Biden administration helps Israel sidestep U.S. human rights laws

The Guardian reports: Top US officials quietly reviewed more than a dozen incidents of alleged gross violations of human rights by Israeli security forces since 2020, but have gone to great lengths to preserve continued access to US weapons for the units responsible for the alleged violations, contributing – former US officials say – to the sense of impunity with which Israel has approached its war in Gaza. An estimated 24,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed by…

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Israel’s right to tyranny

Israel’s right to tyranny

Amjad Iraqi writes: It’s hard to overstate the symbolic power of the Jan. 11 hearing at the International Court of Justice. In a moving display of solidarity, a diverse lineup of South African, Irish, and British lawyers meticulously laid out their evidence for charging Israel with the crime of genocide in the Gaza Strip. The malicious statements of Israeli officials, including cabinet ministers and generals, were recited as declarations of murderous intent. Videos of mass destruction, often recorded gleefully by…

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In Judge Kaplan’s court, Trump plays with fire

In Judge Kaplan’s court, Trump plays with fire

The Washington Post reports: In the high-stakes world of presidential trials, there are no judges like Lewis A. Kaplan. At 79, after decades on the bench, the senior judge is one of the most well-regarded legal minds in New York. And he has a unique history that makes Donald Trump’s courtroom behavior over the past week potentially dangerous for the former president of the United States. Trump is on trial in a civil case as writer E. Jean Carroll seeks…

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Why the United States can’t ignore the ICJ case against Israel

Why the United States can’t ignore the ICJ case against Israel

Zaha Hassan writes: Last week, South Africa presented a well-argued case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN’s judicial arm, alleging Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Israel denies the charges and claims its actions in Gaza are self-defense. A state-to-state complaint about “the crime of crimes” should be a big deal to the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden, particularly when it involves a close ally receiving around $4 billion per year in U.S. security assistance (and fast-tracked for more)….

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The U.S. lacks what every democracy needs

The U.S. lacks what every democracy needs

Richard L. Hasen writes: The history of voting in the United States shows the high cost of living with an old Constitution, unevenly enforced by a reluctant Supreme Court. Unlike the constitutions of many other advanced democracies, the U.S. Constitution contains no affirmative right to vote. We have nothing like Section 3 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, providing that “every citizen of Canada has the right to vote in an election of members of the House of…

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Supreme Court case could result in a major victory for capitalism at the expense of democracy

Supreme Court case could result in a major victory for capitalism at the expense of democracy

The New York Times reports: The Supreme Court heard arguments on Wednesday in a set of cases that could pave the way for its conservative supermajority to undercut how American society imposes rules on businesses, advancing a key goal of the conservative legal movement. Such a ruling would make it easier to challenge regulations across a gamut of issues, like keeping the air and water clean; ensuring that food, drugs, cars and consumer products are safe; and much more. The…

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