International Law in Brief


International Law in Brief (ILIB) is a forum that provides updates on current developments in international law from the editors of ASIL's International Legal Materials.
ECtHR Rules Ukraine Violated Human Rights Over 2014 Odesa Clashes
| By: Özge Karsu : March 21, 2025 |

On March 13, 2025, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled that Ukraine violated the European Convention on Human Rights by failing to prevent and effectively investigate violence erupted during the May 2, 2014 clashes in Odesa.

In April 2014, Ukrainian authorities received intelligence indicating a risk of violence, clashes, and disorder during the planned "For a United Ukraine" rally in Odesa. Despite these warnings, law enforcement deployed only limited police forces to key locations. On May 2, violent clashes broke out between pro-Russian activists and Maidan supporters...

U.S. Withdraws from Climate Damage Fund
| By: Özge Karsu : March 11, 2025 |

On March 4, 2025, the United States withdrew from the Board for the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, as transmitted in a letter from the U.S. Treasury Department.

This move reverses the U.S. commitment to the Fund, which was established at the 2023 COP28 UN Climate Change Conference to support developing nations disproportionately affected by climate change. The Fund was designed to assist nations suffering from loss of life, destruction of ecosystems, and infrastructure damage due to climate change. As of January 2023, the U.S. had joined other nations in pledging a total of...

Sudan Institutes Proceedings Against the UAE Before the ICJ
| By: Özge Karsu : March 05, 2025 |

On March 5, 2025, Sudan filed an application against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), alleging violations of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Genocide Convention).

The application concerned acts committed by Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias against the Masalit group in Darfur, Sudan since at least 2023. Sudan argued that these acts were perpetrated and enabled through direct financial, political, and military support from the UAE. The application alleged that the UAE bears...

UN General Assembly Adopts Competing Resolutions on Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine
| By: Özge Karsu : March 04, 2025 |

On February 24, 2025, the UN General Assembly adopted two resolutions addressing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, marking its third anniversary. The resolutions—proposed separately by Ukraine and the United States—both emphasized the importance of international peace and security, but took different approaches in characterizing the conflict.

The first resolution, titled “Advancing a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine” was proposed by Ukraine, alongside 52 nations. It condemned Russia’s “full-scale invasion” and called for de-escalation, cessation of hostilities, and a...

ECtHR Finds Russia Violated the Right to Freedom of Expression
| By: Özge Karsu : March 04, 2025 |

On February 11, 2025, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled that the Russian Federation violated the right to freedom of expression by imposing fines, prosecuting individuals, and blocking independent news outlets that published information critical of the war in Ukraine.

The ruling detailed how the Russian government passed legislation prohibiting the dissemination of undesirable information about the war. As a result, Russian authorities blocked access to independent media outlets, including Novaya Gazeta, Dozhd TV, 7×7, Mediazona, Sobesednik, Agentstvo, Voice of...

ECtHR Finds Ukraine Violated the Right to Respect for Private Life
| By: Özge Karsu : March 04, 2025 |

On February 13, 2025, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled unanimously that Ukraine violated the right to respect for private life by carrying out unlawful surveillance against three Ukrainian nationals and their lawyer. The surveillance targeted three public officials accused of corruption and included phone tapping and covert video monitoring. Their defense lawyer was also placed under surveillance, with his phone conversations being wiretapped by authorities.

The ECtHR found that Ukraine’s secret surveillance measures were unlawful, as there was no documented legal...

UN Human Rights Committee Finds Albania Violated Roma Children’s Rights by Denying Birth Registration
| By: Özge Karsu : March 04, 2025 |

On February 20, 2025, the United Nations Human Rights Committee found that Albania violated the rights of three Roma children by failing to register their births. This left them legally unrecognized and at the risk of statelessness.

The children were born in Greece to Albanian parents, who lacked legal residency status in Greece. Due to the lack of proper documentation, the parents were not able to obtain full birth registration and were only given basic documentation. They were prohibited from officially naming their children, leaving the children’s birth records incomplete.

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U.S. Civil Rights Groups Sue Over Migrant Transfers to Guantánamo
| By: Özge Karsu : March 01, 2025 |

On March 1, 2025, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), and the ACLU of the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, challenging the decision to transfer immigration detainees to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of ten individuals currently held in immigration detention within the United States.

The plaintiffs argued that the transfer policy violates federal law and the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. They asserted that the...

European Commission Adopts New Proposals to Simplify Sustainability Rules
| By: Özge Karsu : February 25, 2025 |

On February 25, 2025, the European Commission adopted new proposals simplifying sustainability regulations for businesses. The proposal cited concerns that complex rules and excessive red tape are hindering competitiveness and discouraging economic investment within the EU. It included delaying the implementation of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) for all available companies and revising other sustainability laws under the European Green Deal.

Commissioners Maria Luis Albuquerque and Valdis Dombrovskis introduced the initiative at a plenary debate of the...

FIDH: Thailand Violates Prisoners' Right to Health
| By: Özge Karsu : February 18, 2025 |

On January 20, 2025, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) submitted a report on Thailand to the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health. The report analyzed the right to health of individuals deprived of their liberty in Thailand. It concluded that Thailand has consistently failed to uphold the right to health of prisoners as guaranteed under Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and failed to meet the international minimum standards of prison management, such as the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of...

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