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GMA Network
11 hours ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
ICC public counsel dismisses Duterte camp's challenge on jurisdiction
A general view of the International Criminal Court on the day former president Rodrigo Duterte arrives at Rotterdam The Hague Airport after his arrest at the request of the ICC, in The Hague, Netherlands, March 12, 2025. REUTERS/ Wolfgang Rattay The International Criminal Court's (ICC) Office of the Public Counsel for Victims dismissed the defense challenge submitted by the camp of former President Rodrigo Duterte regarding the court's exercise of jurisdiction. Duterte's lawyers earlier argued that preconditions for the exercise of jurisdiction in the Situation of the Philippines were not met at the time the Pre-Trial Chamber authorized the opening of an investigation on September 15, 2021. They noted that the Philippines' withdrawal from the Rome Statute took effect on March 17, 2019 and the Pre-trial Chamber issued its decision, more than two years later. ICC Principal Counsel Paolina Massida pointed out that the Philippines' withdrawal has no legal effect as the Prosecutor's preliminary examination started even before the withdrawal took effect. 'The preliminary examination conducted by the Office of the Prosecutor in the Situation in the Republic of the Philippines must be considered as 'a matter' that was 'already under the consideration of the Court' prior to the date on which the State's withdrawal became effective and thus the Court may exercise its jurisdiction over the case against Mr Duterte,' according to the 27-page document dated June 9. Duterte pulled the Philippines out of the Hague-based ICC's Rome Statute in 2018, with the withdrawal taking effect in 2019, after the tribunal began a preliminary probe into his administration's drug war. In 2021, Supreme Court ruling said the Philippines has the obligation to cooperate with the ICC despite its withdrawal from the Rome Statute, noting that the exit does not affect criminal proceedings pertaining to acts that occurred when a country was still a state party. Duterte was arrested and is detained at the Hague Penitentiary Institution or the Scheveningen Prison while awaiting trial in March this year. With Duterte's arrest, the ICC principal counsel noted that the government's surrender of the former president shows that 'the Government of the Philippines still considered itself to be bound by the Statute when complying with the Arrest Warrant and surrendering the suspect into the custody of the Court.' 'This further provides an irrefutable proof to the effect that the Republic of the Philippines does consider that the Court still can exercise its jurisdiction over the crimes committed in its territory as described in the Warrant of Arrest against Mr Duterte, pursuant to articles 12 and 127 of the Statute,' the document further read. 'For the foregoing reasons, the Principal Counsel respectfully requests the Chamber to dismiss the Defence Challenge,' it concluded. The confirmation of charges has been set for September 23, 2025. — BAP, GMA Integrated News
Libya Herald
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Libya Herald
Tripoli based Libyan government accepts ICC's jurisdiction on alleged crimes in its territory from 2011 to the end of 2027
The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced yesterday that Libya has formally accepted the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) over crimes committed inside Libya from 2011 until the end of 2027. He made the announcement during his report on Libya to the UN Security Council. The ICC reported that on 12 May 2025, the Registrar of the International Criminal Court ('ICC' or 'the Court'), Osvaldo Zavala Giler, received a declaration lodged by the Libyan government declaring Libya's acceptance of the ICC's jurisdiction with respect to alleged crimes in its territory from 2011 to the end of 2027. The declaration was lodged under article 12(3) of the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the ICC, which enables a State not party to the Statute to accept the exercise of jurisdiction of the Court. The ICC said the situation in Libya is currently under investigation before the Court. It was referred to the ICC Prosecutor by the United Nations Security Council in its resolution 1970 dated 26 February 2011. On 3 March 2011, the Prosecutor announced the decision to open an investigation in the situation in Libya. Ramifications? The announcement has huge ramifications for all those across Libya that have committed crimes in the country since 2011 and have successfully eluded the arm of international law. It confirms that there should no longer be impunity to politicians, security forces and militias in Libya. . ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan Libya report to UN Security Council ICC issues arrest warrant against Osama Njeem for crimes against humanity, war crimes – Njeem briefly arrested in Italy, freed and transported to Tripoli – without ICC's approval UNSMIL calls for independent investigation into HoR member Dersi's disappearance and circulating torture video Continue Reading Tags: ICC International Criminal Court
Epoch Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Federal Judge Blocks Trump's Order to Strip Foreign Service Bargaining Rights
A federal judge has ruled to temporarily block President Donald Trump's order stripping foreign service workers of their collective bargaining rights, granting a group a request for a preliminary injunction. At issue is a March 27 executive 'President Trump supports constructive partnerships with unions who work with him; he will not tolerate mass obstruction that jeopardizes his ability to manage agencies with vital national security missions,' the White House U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman, in a Tuesday In a lawsuit brought against the administration, the American Foreign Service Association had said the order 'upended decades of stable labor-management relations in the Foreign Service.' 'Congress could not have been clearer in passing the Statute that it intended for the protections of the Statute to extend broadly to the covered departments and agencies in the foreign service,' the judge said in Tuesday's order. Related Stories 5/15/2025 5/15/2025 Further, he said that the removal of the foreign service workers' union bargaining agreements would pose an issue for those employees as the Trump administration moves to restructure the federal government and initiate layoffs. The unions have argued 'that these significant obstructions to representing its members have come at a critical moment where both the State Department and USAID have signaled—and have begun—large-scale reorganization efforts and reductions-in-force,' the judge wrote, referring to the U.S. Agency for International Development 'As to USAID, the agency has already begun to implement reductions-in-force where employees will be terminated on July 1, 2025, and September 2, 2025,' Friedman added. Secretary of State Marco Rubio 'Region-specific functions will be consolidated to increase functionality, redundant offices will be removed, and non-statutory programs that are misaligned with America's core national interests will cease to exist,' he said. Lawyers for the Trump administration argued in a filing They also claimed that the American public has an interest in making sure that agencies that have an intelligence, national security, or investigative function operate in an efficient manner. A preliminary injunction that is being sought by the plaintiffs would instead 'displace and frustrate the President's decision about how to best address issues of national security, matters on which the courts typically defer to the President's judgment,' the lawyers said. In response to those arguments, Friedman disagreed, saying that administration lawyers were 'recasting decisions related to 'the general welfare' as 'national security' determinations' without providing a legal basis for doing so. After Friedman's decision, the head of the American Foreign Service Association praised the order in a 'This ruling is a significant victory—not just for our members, but for the integrity of the Foreign Service and for the accountability and transparency of our member agencies,' said the group's president, Tom Yazdgerdi. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump can't strip Foreign Service workers of their collective bargaining rights, judge says
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge agreed Wednesday to temporarily block the Trump administration from stripping Foreign Service employees of their collective bargaining rights. U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman granted a federal labor union's request for a preliminary injunction that, while its lawsuit against the government is pending, stops the Republican administration from implementing a key portion of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump. The American Foreign Service Association, which represents more than 18,000 members of the Foreign Service, sued to stop the administration over the March 27 executive order. The union said Trump's order 'upended decades of stable labor-management relations in the Foreign Service,' removing all members at the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development from coverage of a law that gives them the right to organize and bargain collectively. In his opinion, Friedman said "Congress could not have been clearer in passing the Statute that it intended for the protections of the Statute to extend broadly to the covered departments and agencies in the foreign service.' Government lawyers said Trump determined that 'agencies with a primary national security focus are being hamstrung by restrictive terms of collective bargaining agreements that frustrate his ability to safeguard the interests of the American people.' 'The democratically-elected President's determination regarding the public interest in that sphere is entitled to deference,' they wrote. Plaintiffs' attorneys claim Trump issued the executive order to retaliate against labor unions and not to achieve any national security goals. 'Foreign Service employees have lost the ability to bargain collectively at a time when it matters the most, as the Administration continues to make significant, ongoing changes to employees' working conditions and employment,' union attorneys wrote. Last month, in a separate case, the same judge temporarily blocked the administration from canceling collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of federal employees. Friedman ruled that a key part of Trump's executive order could not be enforced at roughly three dozen agencies and departments where employees are represented by the National Treasury Employees Union. The government appealed his decision. Democratic President Bill Clinton nominated Friedman to the bench in 1994.
The Irish Sun
02-05-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Virginia Giuffre's family issues new tribute after Andrew accuser died by suicide & launch ‘public memorial'
VIRGINIA Giuffre's family has paid a touching tribute as part of a GoFundMe appeal to start a public memorial. It comes just days after was tragically found dead at her remote farmhouse, an hour north of Perth, on April 25 after years of torment. 2 Virginia Giuffre, with a photo of herself as a teen, when she says she was abused by Jeffrey Epstein Credit: Rex 2 Prince Andrew, Virginia Giuffre, and Ghislaine Maxwell Credit: AFP In a statement, the family said: "Dear Friends, Family, Survivors, and Supporters. "First and foremost, thank you for the outpouring of love and support for our beloved Virginia. "We know Virginia was not just a bright light to us but to many. The lives she touched, the strength, and the fight she has given us will live with us always. "Though our family and many are experiencing an immeasurable sense of grief, we know that this will make us stronger— that is what Virginia would have wanted. "With that, we think it is imperative that we find a way to leave her mark of legacy. "Virginia, through her fight and testimony, was able to amass settlements, but unfortunately, through this tragedy, as many of you may know, funds and estates can take years to settle. "While her estate is being settled in Australia, her family in America is dedicated to memorializing and celebrating her spirit. "It is our intention with this fund that we create a public memorial not just for family but for survivors and supporters from all over to visit and share space with Virginia. Most read in The Sun "She deserves to have a permanent mark in this world that demonstrates her lasting impact. "Virginia was adamant about seeing real change in active legislation. One of the laws she was driven to change was the Statute of Limitations for sexual abuse. 'Statute of Limitations is a convenient law for perpetrators.' Virginia Roberts. "It takes years for survivors to summon the courage to come forward and express their trauma. "The Statute often expires before, stripping them of their voice and right to pursue justice. So many survivors don't come forward because of this. "We aim to drive that pursuit of justice and propose new legislation for change. "It was Virginia's life's purpose to continue the fight and break the chains of silence! We will continue that mission with all our heart and soul. Together." The tragic tributes come after Giuffre's sudden death in April, which opened a Pandora's Box of unanswered questions. She was the most prominent victim of the notorious Epstein was found dead by police before her family revealed she had died by suicide. More to follow... For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online Read more on the Irish Sun is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at
