Today at the #UN #HumanRightsCouncil, 4 dozen States Parties to the #RomeStatute of the #InternationalCriminalCourt firmly rejected “sanctions against 4 judges of the court, in addition to the sanctions against the prosecutor, or any threats & attacks…against the Court, its elected officials, other personnel & those cooperating with it.”
Full statement/signatories at https://hrcmeetings.ohchr.org/HRCSessions/HRCDocuments/88/SP/88_18842362_0cd1253a-fce1-44ee-b30d-94a67e7d4161.docx #HRC59
Note which States Parties aren’t on the list. Compare with ratifications: https://asp.icc-cpi.int/states-parties

#China: Ten years since the “709 crackdown” against #humanrights #lawyers. A joint oral statement to the #UN #HumanRightsCouncil co-sponsored by 6 NGOs in consultative status with the UN plus endorsement by 16 other NGOs. See the statement at https://www.lrwc.org/china-ten-years-since-the-709-crackdown-against-human-rights-lawyers-joint-oral-statement-to-the-un-human-rights-council/ #HRC59

Today the UN Special Rapporteur on Independendence of #Judges and #Lawyers delivered her report to the #UN #HumanRightsCouncil. Her oral statement is at https://hrcmeetings.ohchr.org/HRCSessions/HRCDocuments/88/OTH/88_18842362_b7216fdf-31c0-4d49-9a2a-ab946700af74.docx. Her full report is at https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/sessions-regular/session59/advance-version/a-hrc-59-52-aev.pdf #HRC59

#Qatar Helped Broker the #Israel-#Iran Cease-Fire. “Before midnight on Monday, Qatari officials convened…journalists…to protest a missile barrage from Iran… …the foreign ministry spokesman, declared that his country had the right to respond to the attack…. At the same time, he called for…cease-fire negotiations. …Qatar had already begun to help to broker a truce, engaging quietly with Israel’s American allies &…the Iranian gov’t...”
| NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/24/world/middleeast/iran-israel-qatar.html

The "Last Window of Opportunity" Test Is Not the Law - and Shouldn't Be. “At most customary international law permits self-defence in response to armed attacks that are temporally imminent. It does not permit self-defence in response to armed attacks that are not temporally imminent, even if a threatened state believes it is about to lose the “last window of opportunity” to defend itself.” | Kevin Jon Heller, Opinio Juris https://opiniojuris.org/2025/06/24/the-last-window-of-opportunity-test-is-unlawful-and-dangerous/ #internationalLaw #Israel #US #Iran

Is Israel’s Use of Force Against Iran Justified by Self-Defence? | Marko Milanovic, EJIL: Talk! https://www.ejiltalk.org/is-israels-use-of-force-against-iran-justified-by-self-defence/

The Illegal Israeli-American Use of Force Against Iran: A Follow-Up | by Marko Milanovic, EJIL: Talk! https://www.ejiltalk.org/the-illegal-israeli-american-use-of-force-against-iran-a-follow-up/

#InternationalLaw #Israel #UnitesStates #Iran

Indefensible: Israel’s Unlawful Attack on Iran. “By June 19, #IDF airstrikes had killed at least 263 civilians & wounded at least 335 civilians… Iran has responded with ballistic missile attacks striking military facilities, civilian apartment buildings, & at least 1 hospital. Both #Israel & #Iran are violating #internationalhumanitarianlaw & must stop.” | Essay “on the legal status of Israel’s military offensive under the #UNCharter,” by Adil Ahmad Haque, Just Security https://www.justsecurity.org/115010/israel-unlawful-attack-iran-charter/

#Iran: UN Fact-Finding Mission, Special Rapporteur call for civilian protection & respect for human rights... Hundreds of #civilians, including women & children, have been killed in the Israeli airstrikes & millions have fled major cities... some attacks...[have targeted] Iran’s state broadcasting agency (IRIB)...& scientists ...and appear to be in violation of...#internationalhumanitarianlaw... ...hospitals & residential areas [have been]...hit... " | More at UN OHCHR https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/06/iran-un-fact-finding-mission-special-rapporteur-call-civilian-protection-and

“On June 17, 2025, #RezaKhandan & other inmates in #EvinPrison wrote to the #Iranian judiciary calling for their release. Khandan, a…#humanrights advocate, & his wife, …[#women’s] human rights #lawyer #NasrinSotoudeh, have…faced repeated arrests & harassment for…defending…rights…in #Iran. He has been arbitrarily detained in #EvinPrison…since December 13, 2024. …Iranian law mandates all non-violent prisoners be released during wartime.” | See letter at RFK Human Rights https://rfkhumanrights.org/our-voices/translation-of-letter-from-reza-khandan-to-iranian-judiciary/

Political prisoners stuck in Tehran jail with no way to flee bombings. “…Reza Khandan, imprisoned for his #humanrights activism in 2024, was sitting in…Tehran’s #Evinprison on the edge of the evacuation zone… as tens of thousands fled the #Iranian capital. …[Reza Khan] had no way to flee… On Monday…Israel struck Evin prison. …Relatives of prisoners…[said] there were injuries reported in wards 4, 7 & 8 – where Reza was being held, though he was unharmed.” | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/23/political-prisoners-tehran-jail-bombings

#Iran: Tehran's Evin Prison after an Israeli strike. “… in addition to criminals, #EvinPrison is home to many #political #prisoners, including [woman #HumanRightsDefender] #NargesMohammad, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025, as well as foreign detainees….[on map at link] red, blue, yellow & light green markers indicate…locations of the June 23, 2025 [Israeli] airstrikes… dark green circles highlight wards…where political prisoners are held...” | France24 https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20250623-israel-strikes-evin-prison-tehran-attack-political-prisoners

Israel has bombed Evin prison in #Iran. #HumanRightsDefenders are arbitrarily detained there.
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June 18, 2025: "From #Tehran’s #EvinPrison, woman political prisoner and international law scholar Mahvash (Sayeh) Seydal has issued an urgent open letter to international #humanrights bodies, calling for immediate...measures to protect... #politicalprisoners...trapped in or near areas under bombardment in Iran." | Center for Human Rights in Iran https://iranhumanrights.org/2025/06/evin-prison-political-prisoner-urges-action-to-protect-prisoners-as-war-escalates/

US asks China to stop Iran from closing Strait of Hormuz | BBC
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c056pyv723vo

Israel's war on Iran is crime of #aggression, not legal self-defence, say experts. “Leading international law scholars argue that #Israel's assault is manifestly #unlawful and cannot be justified as an act of self-defence” | Middle East Eye, 13 June 2015 https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-attack-iran-amounts-crime-aggression-scholars-say

#UN #SecurityCouncil: #US Leadership’s ‘Wholesale Disregard’ for #InternationalLaw, #UNCharter. ‘…the representative of…#Russia...[said] “…[t]to further the interests of…#Israel…, [Washington is] prepared not only to turn a blind eye to the killings of tens of thousands of #Palestinian women, children & older persons, but also to gamble with the safety & well-being of humanity… None of our sensible colleagues in the int’l community will believe our #US colleagues...’ | UN https://press.un.org/en/2025/sc16095.doc.htm

Ukrainian troops brace for Russian assault on Sumy, top general says. “#Ukraine’s top general says his troops are preparing for a potential #Russian assault on the northern city of Sumy, as worries grow that the war here is being forgotten after the #UnitedStates waded into the #Israel-#Iran conflict.“ | Mark MacKinnon, Globe and Mail https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-ukraine-russia-sumy-prepare-assault/

Find in the Archive. https://archive.ph/NYlWA

See Mark MacKinnon’s post from Kyiv in my previous post.

#Gaza: Near-daily #massacres:
‘As the world’s attention turns to the war between #Israel and #Iran — and with Israel simultaneously cutting off internet and telecommunications services, imposing effective media and information blackouts on millions of Palestinians — Israel’s attacks on starving Gazans awaiting #aid have only intensified.’ | +972 Magazine https://www.972mag.com/hunger-games-israel-gaza-food-aid/

Every 24th January, The International #DayOfTheEndangeredLawyer focus attention on #lawyers at risk of #intimidation, #threats, #charges, #imprisonment or attacks on their #independence to represent clients. 30 lawyers’ organizations around the world decided on the #US as the 2026 focus: https://www.lrwc.org/usa-chosen-as-focus-country-for-2026-international-day-of-the-endangered-lawyer/ #RuleOfLaw

🇺🇸 2026: USA
2025: Belarus
2024: Iran
2023: Afghanistan
2022: Colombia
2021: Azerbaijan
2020: Pakistan
2019: Turkey
2018: Egypt
2017: China
2016: Honduras
2015: The Philippines

The Coalition for the International Day of the #EndangeredLawyer has designated the USA as the focus country for the international day on 24 January 2026. The selection of the #USA reflects serious concerns over escalating attacks against #lawyers in 2025, including executive orders targeting #lawfirms harassment, political reprisals & discriminatory measures undermining the independence of the legal profession. Press release at: https://www.lrwc.org/united-states-chosen-as-focus-country-for-2026-international-day-of-the-endangered-lawyer/ #DayOfTheEndangeredLawyer

In an oral statement to the #UN #HumanRightsCouncil, Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada (#LRWC), the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (#IBAHRI, & the International Service for Human Rights (#ISHR) today called the Council’s attention to the #US government’s “concerted attack on the #ruleoflaw including crackdowns against #peacefulassembly & threats against #humanrightsdefenders, #lawyers, #judges, & civil society groups that uphold human rights.” | https://www.lrwc.org/united-states-halt-crackdowns-against-peaceful-assembly-oral-statement-to-the-un-human-rights-council/ #HRC59