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29 April 2014
On 29 April 2014, Human Rights Watch released a report in which it says that Bulgaria summarily returns Syrians, Afghans, and others from within Bulgaria and at the border with Turkey.
In order to prevent further arrivals, Bulgaria deployed an additional 1,500 police officers at the Turkish border. Frontex, the European Union’s border control agency, has also supplied guest guards from various EU member states. (more…)
Source: Human Rights Watch | Bulgaria: Asylum Seekers Summarily Expelled
28 April 2014
In a letter that was sent to the Dutch House of Representatives by the Minister for Foreign Trade, Lilianne Ploumen, it was acknowledged that Syria bought resources for its chemical weapons programme from two Dutch companies.
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Source: NRC Handelsblad | Ploumen erkent rol Nederlandse bedrijven bij Syrisch gifgas | 25 April 2014
27 April 2014
On 23 April 2014, it was reported that an Armenian asylum seeker committed suicide in the Netherlands last December. He was due to be reported to Germany pursuant to the Dublin Regulation.
He was under the supervision of the Dutch Immigration and Naturalization Service, who were aware that he had serious psychiatric problems. However, he was not given specialist help since he fell under the Dublin Regulation, according to which Germany was responsible for him.
The Dublin Regulation stipulates that asylum seekers must request refugee status in the first member state of the European Union in which they arrive.
Source: NRC | Asielzoeker die onder toezicht overheid stond, pleegde zelfmoord
25 April 2014
On 24 April, the Republic of the Marshall Islands filed lawsuits in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against nine nuclear-armed states (the United States, Russia, Britain, France, China, Israel, India, Pakistan, and North Korea) for violations of international law regarding nuclear disarmament obligations according to the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and customary international law. Under Article VI of the NPT, states are required to pursue negotiations ‘in good faith’ on nuclear disarmament and ending the nuclear arms race, of which the nuclear-armed states continue to ignore. While the original five nuclear-armed states are parties to the NPT (US, Russia, Britain, France, and China), the newer nuclear-armed states (Israel, India, Pakistan, and North Korea) are not parties to the NPT. However, these states are still bound by the nuclear disarmament provisions under customary international law. (more…)
Source: The Guardian | Marshall Islands sues nine nuclear powers over failure to disarm
Source: The Wall Street Journal | Marshall Islands Sues Nine Nuclear-Armed Powers
Source: Nuclear Age Peace Foundation | Pacific nation challenges nine nuclear-armed states in lawsuits before the world court
25 April 2014
The Dutch Minister of Defence, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, maintains that the Netherlands does not facilitate illegal liquidations with drones by the United States and that the Dutch government has no indications that information gathered by the Dutch military intelligence agency (MIVD) was used for acts that violate international law. The statement by Hennis-Plasschaert is a reaction to the claim by former drone pilot, Brandon Bryant, that it is ‘unthinkable’ that the Dutch intelligence concerning Somalia has not been used by the US to conduct targeted killings of presumed terrorists. (more…)
Source: Volkskrant | Hennis herhaalt: Nederland werkt niet mee aan illegale drone-aanvallen
Source: NRC | ‘Nederland levert metadata voor Amerikaanse aanvallen met drones’