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Days of Palestine
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
Netanyahu Denies Gaza Famine, Admitting Other War Crimes
DayofPal– Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday rejected accusations that people in the Gaza Strip are facing starvation, denying that Israel is employing starvation as a tactic of war. Speaking at a conference, Netanyahu asserted that the Israeli army has documented the physical condition of thousands of Palestinian detainees from Gaza, insisting none of them showed signs of severe malnourishment. Netanyahu said that despite international assessments warn of a looming famine in the besieged enclave. 'Thousands and thousands of prisoners taking their shirt off and you don't see one, not one emaciated from the beginning of the war to the present,' he claimed. Netanyahu further claimed that, from the early stages of the war, Israel had made the decision to provide Gaza's civilian population with 'essential requirements: food, water, medicine.' However, he did not provide concrete evidence to support this assertion one that contradicts warnings issued by the United Nations and various humanitarian organizations regarding extreme levels of acute food insecurity in the territory. His remarks also confirmed that Israeli forces have detained thousands of individuals from Gaza over the course of the war. He admitted to the mass detention of thousands of civilians who were not involved in hostile activities, which is a blatant violation of Article (3) of the Geneva Conventions on war. This article prohibits warring parties from detaining civilians except under judicial and humanitarian guarantees. He also admitted to a clear and direct violation of Article (13) of the Third Geneva Convention by photographing detainees and publishing the images for the purpose of defamation and humiliation. This article was designed to protect the dignity of prisoners of war and detainees. In addition, he admitted the stripping of prisoners and photographing them in degrading and indecent positions, in ways that amount to humiliating treatment and degradation of human dignity, is considered a crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. He then concluded with a sick mockery of their bodies, saying: 'You can notice that those we detained don't exercise,' implying they are overweight from excessive eating. Despite these claims, Israel has largely kept the crossings into Gaza closed since March 2, halting the flow of food, medical supplies, and humanitarian assistance. The blockade has significantly worsened an already dire humanitarian situation, with local authorities reporting deaths from malnutrition, particularly among children. Gaza health officials have formally declared the conditions a state of famine. 58 children have died, since the war started, due to severe malnutrition, with the Gaza Government Media Office recording 9 children among 26 died in less the 24 hours due to starvation, last week. Meanwhile, the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) announced on Monday that it had launched operations to distribute aid, bypassing the United Nations and established international relief agencies. Its integration into an Israeli-controlled aid mechanism has drawn criticism from humanitarian groups, who argue that sustainable, large-scale access is essential to meet the urgent needs of the population. Tensions flared on Tuesday when Israeli forces reportedly opened fire on a crowd gathered at a GHF aid distribution point, killing at least three Palestinians and injuring 46 others, according to the Gaza media office. Israel's genocide in Gaza, ongoing since October 2023, has continued despite growing international pressure for a ceasefire. The offensive has resulted in the deaths of more than 54,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom are women and children. In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Additionally, Israel is currently the subject of a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions against civilians in the territory. Shortlink for this post:
Russia Today
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Putin issues warning to foreign mercenaries
Foreign mercenaries fighting for Kiev should be aware that they do not have the same legal protections under international law as regular Ukrainian combatants, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a visit to the Kursk Region. Speaking at a meeting with the Russian General Staff and military commanders on Wednesday, the president stated that any Ukrainian soldier or foreign mercenary captured on Russian soil should be 'treated as a terrorist under Russian law.' 'All people who commit crimes against the civilian population on the territory of the Kursk Region, confront our Armed Forces, law enforcement agencies and special services, are terrorists in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation,' Putin said. 'This is how the Russian Prosecutor General's Office and the Investigative Committee qualify their actions.' Putin emphasized that Russia 'treats and will treat all people humanely,' including prisoners of war (POWs), but specifically warned that mercenaries lack the same legal status as regular troops. 'I still want to remind you that foreign mercenaries are not protected by the 1949 Geneva Convention on POWs,' the Russian leader said. The Russian border region faced a major incursion by Kiev's forces in August 2024, and Moscow's troops have been gradually pushing them back in an operation that has intensified in recent weeks. In liberated areas, Russian investigators have found evidence of Ukrainian troops committing rape, torture, and murder against local civilians during the occupation. Foreign mercenaries have also played an active role in Ukraine's incursions, according to Russian authorities, who have repeatedly warned that any troops supporting Kiev will be considered 'legitimate targets.' Under the Third Geneva Convention, regular combatants fighting for a recognized party in a conflict are granted protections if captured by the opposing side. POW status guarantees them access to shelter, food, medical care, and protection from hostilities, as well as safeguards against violence, intimidation, and degrading treatment. They also cannot be prosecuted simply for taking part in hostilities, unless they have committed war crimes. However, Article 47 of Additional Protocol I to the convention explicitly excludes mercenaries from being classified as regular combatants, meaning they are not entitled to POW status. Russian authorities have consistently prosecuted foreign mercenaries fighting for Kiev. In January, a Russian court sentenced retired U.S. Army Ranger Patrick Creed to 13 years in prison for serving with Ukraine's armed forces between 2022 and 2023. In March, British citizen James Scott Rhys Anderson was sentenced to 19 years behind bars by a Russian court after being convicted of crimes against civilians in the Kursk Region.
Korea Herald
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Human rights groups urge Zelenskyy to send N. Korean POWs to S. Korea if they wish
Third Geneva Convention does not apply to N. Korean POWs, who face likely 'draconian punishment' if repatriated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been urged to respect the wishes of two North Korean soldiers captured in Ukraine and to allow them to seek asylum in South Korea if they choose, according to a joint letter from North Korean human rights organizations and relatives of detainees in North Korea. The letter to Zelenskyy was made public as authorities in Ukraine and South Korea have been consulting on potential places of exile for the publicly disclosed two North Korean prisoners of war — one of whom has reportedly expressed the desire to resettle in South Korea — while the US continues to push Ukraine and Russia to end the grinding war. 'We ask Ukraine to respect the principle of nonrefoulement by not returning captured North Korean soldiers to Russia or North Korea against their will and to allow North Korean POWs who wish to go to South Korea, where they will be accepted and treated as South Korean citizens, to do so,' an English-language letter read. The letter further elaborated that the condition of North Korean POWs is not within the Geneva Convention in terms of the treatment of prisoners of war, otherwise known as the Third Geneva Convention, which allows parties to an armed conflict to negotiate agreements on the repatriation of prisoners of war who have been held in captivity over a long period. Neither North Korea nor Russia has officially acknowledged the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia's war on Ukraine. As a result, it is widely interpreted that North Korean POWs are subject to prisoner exchanges between Ukraine and Russia. 'But the Geneva Convention was drafted in a humanitarian spirit and under the premise that the country of origin would protect, not persecute, its own POWs,' the letter read. 'This is not the case with North Korea, which is more likely to mete out draconian punishment to the soldiers who surrender and their families as traitors.' The International Committee of the Red Cross's commentary on the Third Geneva Convention also explained that 'Where the repatriation of a prisoner of war would be manifestly contrary to the general principles of international law for the protection of the human being, the Detaining Power may, so to speak, grant him asylum," according to the letter. The letter further noted that the 1953 Korean War armistice set a significant precedent by allowing only those POWs who specifically requested to be repatriated to return. As of Tuesday, the letter was signed by nine nongovernmental organizations focused on North Korean issues, including the Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights, the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, the Korean War POW Family Association and the Transitional Justice Working Group, as well as relatives of Kim Cheol-ok, who was repatriated by China to North Korea in 2023, and missionary Kim Jeong-wook, who has been detained in North Korea since 2013. One of the soldiers, identified by his surname Ri, said in an interview with the Chosun Ilbo, a conservative South Korean daily, published in mid-February that he wished to defect to South Korea. Then, in early March, Rep. Yoo Yong-weon of the ruling People Power Party revealed that Ri had made up his mind to settle in South Korea after he met with the two North Korean POWs during his visit to Ukraine in late February. The second North Korean POW, whose family name is Paek, is still undecided about defecting to South Korea, telling Yoo that he "needs more time to think." The two North Korean POWs were captured by Ukrainian forces on Jan. 9. The South Korean government has stated it is willing to accept North Korean POWs from Ukraine, as North Korean soldiers are considered South Korean citizens under its Constitution. The prerequisite for this, however, is confirming the willingness of North Korean POWs to reside in South Korea.
Korea Herald
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Zelenskyy urged to send N. Korean POWs to S. Korea if they wish
Third Geneva Convention does not apply to N. Korean POWs, who face likely 'draconian punishment' if repatriated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been urged to respect the wishes of two North Korean soldiers captured in Ukraine and to allow them to seek asylum in South Korea if they choose, according to a joint letter from North Korean human rights organizations and relatives of detainees in North Korea. The letter to Zelenskyy was made public as authorities in Ukraine and South Korea have been consulting on potential places of exile for the publicly disclosed two North Korean prisoners of war — one of whom has reportedly expressed the desire to resettle in South Korea — while the US continues to push Ukraine and Russia to end the grinding war. 'We ask Ukraine to respect the principle of nonrefoulement by not returning captured North Korean soldiers to Russia or North Korea against their will and to allow North Korean POWs who wish to go to South Korea, where they will be accepted and treated as South Korean citizens, to do so,' an English-language letter read. The letter further elaborated that the condition of North Korean POWs is not within the Geneva Convention in terms of the treatment of prisoners of war, otherwise known as the Third Geneva Convention, which allows parties to an armed conflict to negotiate agreements on the repatriation of prisoners of war who have been held in captivity over a long period. Neither North Korea nor Russia has officially acknowledged the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia's war on Ukraine. As a result, it is widely interpreted that North Korean POWs are subject to prisoner exchanges between Ukraine and Russia. 'But the Geneva Convention was drafted in a humanitarian spirit and under the premise that the country of origin would protect, not persecute, its own POWs,' the letter read. 'This is not the case with North Korea, which is more likely to mete out draconian punishment to the soldiers who surrender and their families as traitors.' The International Committee of the Red Cross's commentary on the Third Geneva Convention also explained that 'Where the repatriation of a prisoner of war would be manifestly contrary to the general principles of international law for the protection of the human being, the Detaining Power may, so to speak, grant him asylum," according to the letter. The letter further noted that the 1953 Korean War armistice set a significant precedent by allowing only those POWs who specifically requested to be repatriated to return. As of Tuesday, the letter was signed by nine nongovernmental organizations focused on North Korean issues, including the Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights, the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, the Korean War POW Family Association and the Transitional Justice Working Group, as well as relatives of Kim Cheol-ok, who was repatriated by China to North Korea in 2023, and missionary Kim Jeong-wook, who has been detained in North Korea since 2013. One of the soldiers, identified by his surname Ri, said in an interview with the Chosun Ilbo, a conservative South Korean daily, published in mid-February that he wished to defect to South Korea. Then, in early March, Rep. Yoo Yong-weon of the ruling People Power Party revealed that Ri had made up his mind to settle in South Korea after he met with the two North Korean POWs during his visit to Ukraine in late February. The second North Korean POW, whose family name is Paek, is still undecided about defecting to South Korea, telling Yoo that he "needs more time to think." The two North Korean POWs were captured by Ukrainian forces on Jan. 9. The South Korean government has stated it is willing to accept North Korean POWs from Ukraine, as North Korean soldiers are considered South Korean citizens under its Constitution. The prerequisite for this, however, is confirming the willingness of North Korean POWs to reside in South Korea.
See - Sada Elbalad
24-02-2025
- Politics
- See - Sada Elbalad
Voluntary Repatriation of North Korean POWs in Ukraine: Legal and Humanitarian Challenges
Opinion With new reports of North Korean troops captured as POWs in Ukraine, as President Zelensky puts it, there is now 'irrefutable evidence' that North Korea has been involved in Russia's war against Ukraine. The ROK's National Intelligence Service provides that North Korea deployed around 12,000 soldiers in Kursk Oblast, and at least 300 soldiers have been killed and 2700 wounded. Among them, two were captured as POWs by the Ukraine government, and President Zelensky proposed that he is ready to exchange captured North Korean POWs with Ukrainian POWs in Russia. And if exchanges do take place, it is likely that North Korean POWs will be returned to North Korea, but President Zelensky did leave the option open for the soldiers not to be return to North Korea if the 'soldiers express a desire to bring peace closer by spreading the truth about the war in Korean'. As for the POWs, they have not provided a clear position, but in an interview posted by President Zelensky, one of the POWs said he wanted to return to North Korea while the other mentioned that he would like to stay in Ukraine, but would return home if it was required for him to do so. While the Third Geneva Convention, which regulates POWs, does stipulate that POWs should be returned to their homeland, many human rights organizations are concerned about their possible return to North Korea since these POWs can face serious human rights risks if they are sent back to North Korea. The Third Geneva Convention clearly provides that POWs should be treated humanely at all times, and therefore, the Ukraine government is now cooperating with the UN and the ICRC and other organizations to protect the POWs from violence, public humiliation, or insult. But if they are repatriated to North Korea, it is highly likely that they can be punished for not obeying military orders. In particular, captured North Korea soldiers may be deemed to be traitors since reports show that North Korea authorities instructed these soldiers to commit suicide or self-destruction before being captured by the enemy. They may also be punished for consuming foreign media, which can lead to arbitrary detention and even torture. Many North Korean defectors already face serious consequences when they are repatriated, which is why the UN is calling for states not to forcibly repatriate North Korea defectors in accordance with the principle of non-refoulement under international law. In the meantime, the ROK government has not provided an official position on this issue, and a spokesperson rather announced that return of North Korean POWs 'requires review of international law and other legal matters, and consultation with other related countries'. But as a matter of law, North Korean POWs are entitled to go to the ROK based on ROK's constitutional law since North Korean citizens are considered to be South Korean citizens under the ROK's constitution. It is under this legal basis that North Korean defectors are able to enter South Korea. However, the challenge lies in that North Korea and Russia have not officially acknowledged the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia, and possibilities remain that Russia will claim the North Korea POWs as their own soldiers. Therefore, many uncertainties remain, but it is clear that the free will of the North Korean POWs should be respected. In fact, it was during the Korean War, when this free will or 'voluntary repatriation' of Korean POWs was implemented for the first time. At the end of the war, a large number of communist POWs did not want to return to North Korea or China because they feared they would be punished or killed for being captured or cooperating with the UN. Due to such risks, President Truman at that time acknowledged the need for 'voluntary repatriation', claiming that forced repatriation would be repugnant to the fundamental moral and humanitarian principles. These same principles should be applied to the North Korean POWs in Ukraine today considering the dangers they will face when they go back to their homeland.
