International Law in Brief

On January 14, 2025, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled that Turkey violated the European Convention on Human Rights by dismissing 42 judges and prosecutors without granting them access to an effective legal remedy. The court concluded that these dismissals, carried out under Turkey’s controversial Law No. 6524 (2014), violated Article 6 of the Convention, which guarantees the right to a fair trial. The court awarded each of the 42 applicants €7,800 in non-pecuniary damages, along with compensation for legal fees and costs.

The Turkish Government argued that the...

On January 20, 2025, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled that Italy violated the right to life (Article 2 of the Convention) and the right to respect for private and family life (Article 8 of the Convention). The ruling was based on Italy’s prolonged failure to address widespread illegal waste dumping by organized criminal groups in the Terra dei Fuochi (Land of Pyres) region near Naples.

The Italian government argued that it had taken sufficient action to mitigate the health impacts of pollution, including intensified cancer screening efforts. However, the...

On November 21, 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber announced the issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The warrants cite allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against the civilian population in Gaza. On the same day, the Chamber also issued an arrest warrant for Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, commonly known as "Deif," the commander of Hamas's al-Qassam Brigades, for alleged crimes against...

On October 4, 2024, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled that the Taliban's discriminatory measures against women in Afghanistan constitute "acts of persecution" justifying the recognition of refugee status. The ruling comes in response to Austria's refusal to recognize the refugee status of two Afghan women. The two women contested the denial before the Austrian Supreme Administrative Court, which subsequently sought a ruling from the CJEU. The Court's judgment recognizes that some of the restrictions...