Latest news
10 April 2014
The New York Times reports that Britain has increasingly invoked its power to strip citizens of their British citizenship. Furthermore, Prime Minister David Cameron’s government is promoting legislation that would increase this power to revoke citizenship, as a result of concerns that British Muslims traveling to fight in Syria will pose a threat upon their return to Britain. Britain is one of the few countries, including Israel, which can revoke citizenship of dual nationals, if suspected or convicted of terrorist offenses. However, the proposed legislation would expand such practice to naturalised citizens that have no other nationality, resulting in the statelessness of that person. Home Secretary Theresa May stated that citizenship is a ‘privilege, not a right.’ The purpose of this power is to disrupt the terrorist threat and other countries are taking note. For example, in Canada there is a bill before parliament including some deprivation powers. Additionally, Australia and the Netherlands are also considering such legislation. (more…)
Source: The New York Times | Britain Increasingly Invokes Power to Disown Its Citizens
9 April 2014
Human Rights Watch released a letter that was sent to the US Secretary of State John Kerry on 31 March. The letter urged the United States to not resume military aid to Egypt unless the military-backed government ceases the alleged human rights abuses and ensures that violators are held accountable. (more…)
Source: Human Rights Watch | Egypt: Failure to Meet US Aid Conditions
Source: Reuters | Rights group calls on U.S. to delay military aid to Egypt
8 April 2014
Following accusations by the Rwandan President Paul Kagame of French involvement in the Rwandan genocide, France did not attend the ceremony on 7 April 2014, marking the 20th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide. According to the French Foreign Ministry, Rwanda barred the ambassador from the commemoration.
Kagame told the magazine Jeune Afrique in an interview last month that both France and Belgium had a ‘direct role in the political preparation of genocide and participation in its execution.’ Kagame accused France of training and arming the Hutu armed groups who were the main perpetrators of the genocide and of involvement in the slaughter of Rwandans who attempted to escape through a French-controlled territory. (more…)
Source: Reuters | France to shun Rwanda genocide ceremony after Kagame accusations
Source: The New York Times | 20 Years After, Rwanda Pauses to Recall Carnage
Source: The Wall Street Journal | Rwanda, France Spar on Anniversary of Genocide
3 April 2014
On 1 April 2014, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ordered military commanders to draft plans in order to reinforce the defenses in Eastern Europe. The US already sent military aircrafts to increase air patrols over the Baltic nations. Further steps that will be taken to reassure Eastern European countries are expected to include sending more military equipment to Eastern European states, improving the capability of the rapid response forces, holding more military exercises and increasing the naval presence in the Baltic Sea. (more…)
Source: The New York Times | NATO to Firm Up Its Presence in Eastern Europe as It Halts Cooperation With Russia
Source: The Guardian | Nato moves to bolster eastern European defences against Russia
Source: Reuters | NATO suspends cooperation with Russia over Ukraine crisis
Source: The Washington Post | NATO allies pledge to beef up eastern defences
2 April 2014
David Jason Karp has recently published Responsibility for Human Rights: Transnational Corporations in Imperfect States at Cambridge University Press.
According to the abstract, the book ‘provides an original theoretical analysis of which global actors are responsible for human rights, and why. It does this through an evaluation of the different reasons according to which such responsibilities might be assigned: legalism, universalism, capacity and publicness. The book marshals various arguments that speak in favour of and against assigning “responsibility for human rights” to any state or non-state actor. (…) David Karp argues that relevantly public actors have specific human rights responsibility. However, states can be less public, and non-state actors can be more public, than might seem apparent at first glance.’
Source: CUP | Responsibility for Human Rights: Transnational Corporations in Imperfect States | David Jason Karp | March 2014