Crimes Against Humanity committed against Burma's Rohingya people .

The Irish Centre for Human Rights has just released an extensive report on the Rohingya people of Burma: Crimes Against Humanity in Western Burma: The Situation of of the Rohingyas. The Rohingya are a Muslim minority group resident in North Arakan state in Western Burma. The report finds that there is a prima facie case that crimes against humanity have been committed against them, namely forced labour, deportation and forcible transfer, rape and sexual violence, and persecution.

By Aegis Trust,, UK.

Humanitarian Intervention Policy Resource.

New Chinese judge at ICJ, not a fan of extra-territorial jurisdiction .

At the moment, one of the most controversial issues with international criminal law is the question of universal jurisdiction. Under traditional international law, states establish universal jurisdiction over certain international crimes by treaty terms except for one case, piracy. In other words, regardless of general jurisdictional grounds on territory, nationality, protection and so on, states establish national criminal jurisdiction over certain offences simply by the physical presence of the alleged suspect. In exercising such criminal jurisdiction, not only judicial assistance is assured between the state parties under the relevant treaty, rules of sovereign immunity are also respected under general international law

By Aegis Trust,, UK.

Humanitarian Intervention Policy Resource.

Explained: Election pledge on new Crimes Against Humanity Convention .

Following lobbying by the Aegis Trust, one party has pledged to pursue a specialist convention on Crimes Against Humanity. In its election manifesto the Labour party writes: "We will advocate a new international convention to enable the prosecution of perpetrators of genocide and crimes against humanity." A specialist crimes against humanity convention would, like the Genocide Convention, require states to prevent crimes against humanity. It would also, like the Convention against Torture, require states to incorporate crimes against humanity into their domestic legal codes and introduce an element of universal jurisdiction by requiring authorities to extradite or prosecute suspects found on their territory.

By Aegis Trust,, UK.

Humanitarian Intervention Policy Resource.

Head of Khmer Rouge prison sentenced in Cambodia: Survivors and civil parties respond to trial verdict .

The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), established to prosecute atrocities committed in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge, have sentenced Kaing Guek Eav, known as Duch, to 35 years imprisonment for crimes against humanity. The 67-year-old the former schoolteacher worked for the Khmer Rouge as head of the Tuol Sleng detention facility, a converted school in which over 12,000 prisoners were tortured and brutally murdered. Only a dozen inmates are known to have survived the prison.

By Aegis Trust,, UK.

Humanitarian Intervention Policy Resource.

New report: Sudan unprepared for risk surrounding referendum .

With six months until a referendum on Southern independence, Sudan is alarmingly unprepared according to a new report published today by a global coalition of 26 humanitarian and human rights organisations. The report calls for urgent action from African heads of state who will meet shortly at a major summit of the African Union in Uganda from 19 - 27 July. Ahead of the summit, international Sudan envoys will meet in Khartoum on 17 July.

By Aegis Trust,, UK.

Humanitarian Intervention Policy Resource.

New Chinese judge at ICJ, not a fan of extra-territorial jurisdiction .

At the moment, one of the most controversial issues with international criminal law is the question of universal jurisdiction. Under traditional international law, states establish universal jurisdiction over certain international crimes by treaty terms except for one case, piracy. In other words, regardless of general jurisdictional grounds on territory, nationality, protection and so on, states establish national criminal jurisdiction over certain offences simply by the physical presence of the alleged suspect. In exercising such criminal jurisdiction, not only judicial assistance is assured between the state parties under the relevant treaty, rules of sovereign immunity are also respected under general international law. The early conventions on human rights are vague on the point, but state practice and international court decisions support this position. In the Pinochet case, although the British House of Lords declined to embrace one Lord's opinion grounding extradition on international custom regarding universal jurisdiction, its ruling did affect the doctrine of Act of State as practiced in the past.

By Aegis Trust,, UK.

Humanitarian Intervention Policy Resource.

Clive Owen joins Parliamentarians to mark Aegis’ first ten years .

Film star Clive Owen, an ambassador for the Aegis Trust, last week joined Rwandan genocide survivor Freddy Mutanguha, MPs Mary Creagh, Stephen Crabb and Stephen Twigg, Aegis Chief Executive James Smith and many others in the Jubilee Room at the Palace of Westminster to celebrate the achievements of Aegis in its first ten years and to reflect on the challenges for genocide prevention in the years to come.

By Aegis Trust,, UK.

Humanitarian Intervention Policy Resource.

Lubanga Chronicle #91 Judges order OTP Intermediary´s Identity to Be Disclosed to Thomas Lubanga .

The matter of the still unknown identity of Intermediary 143 interrupts the proceedings today. It is such a controversial issue that the Trial Chamber needs to hear today's entire session before a final decision is reached: the material that discloses the identity of Intermediary 143 has to be provided to the Defence team.

By Aegis Trust,, UK.

Humanitarian Intervention Policy Resource.

Crimes Against Humanity committed against Burma's Rohingya people .

The Irish Centre for Human Rights has just released an extensive report on the Rohingya people of Burma: Crimes Against Humanity in Western Burma: The Situation of of the Rohingyas. The Rohingya are a Muslim minority group resident in North Arakan state in Western Burma. The report finds that there is a prima facie case that crimes against humanity have been committed against them, namely forced labour, deportation and forcible transfer, rape and sexual violence, and persecution.

By Aegis Trust,, UK.

Humanitarian Intervention Policy Resource.

Yorkshire Post: Breakdown of nationality of suspected war criminals found in UK .

Rob Waugh of the Yorkshire Post has done a sterling job in using Freedom of Information requests to uncover the numbers of suspected war criminals who have been turned down on their application for British citizenship. The raw numbers are below. This is the first time that the Government has provided figures that break down the number of suspects by country of origin.

By Aegis Trust,, UK.

Humanitarian Intervention Policy Resource.