Latest news with #international_law
BBC News
3 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
E dey legal for US to deport foreign criminals come Africa?
United States goment don turn Africa to dia new backyard wia dem dey deport migrants wey dem say be convicted criminals. Even as dem don fly some of di migrants go kontris for Central and South America, dem bin send 12 men from kontris including Mexico, Myanmar and Yemen go Eswatini and South Sudan last month. Dem bin also fly one South Sudan pesin go back home. Di US goment dey also try convince some oda African kontris to accept pipo wey dia kontris no gree collect back, according to US authorities. President Donald Trump mass deportation gada support during im campaign last year. But UN human rights experts and human rights groups dey worry about wetin bin happun as dem argue say to carry migrants go kontris wey no be dia place of origin – wey dem dey call third kontri - fit dey against international law. Third kontri deportation legal for international law? Third-kontri deportations fit dey legal - but only for some kain conditions. "Dis whole idea of third kontri removal dem dey see am as anoda kind of asylum," Prof Ray Brescia, from Albany Law School for US tok. "E get principle for international law - wey dem dey call non-refoulement - e mean say you no suppose return pesin back to im kontri if e no dey safe for dem, so a third kontri fit be safe option for am," im tok. Dis principle no only apply to di migrant home kontri but also to di kontri wey dem go wan send am go. If dat kontri no safe, deportation fit dey against international law - like wen UK Supreme Court block British goment plan to send asylum seekers go Rwanda for 2023. Due process also dey necessary. Migrants gatz get chance to challenge deportation if di destination dey dangerous, based on evidence from credible sources like UN reports or US State Department findings. Courts dey expected to assess dis risk carefully. "Di court gatz torchlight di kain legal status wey migrants go get, if dem go detain dem, which kain house dem wan give dem," Dr Alice Edwards, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and oda Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, tok. But many migrants dey struggle to get access to legal support on time. "E dey take serious effort and access to lawyer wey fit act sharpaly," Prof Brescia tok. "Dat kain legal waka no dey available to evrione." Eswatini and South Sudan deportations dey against international law? "For sure dem dey, in two ways," Prof David Super, from Georgetown University Law Centre, tok. "E no get evidence say US dey give pipo chance to challenge dia deportation, and dem no get permission to send pipo go kontris wia dem fit face oppression." "South Sudan and Eswatini get serious questions about dia human rights records," im tell BBC. Wen dem bin first bundle migrants go South Sudan for May, e get one legal challenge wey dem carry go one US district court afta di flight don already take off. Di judge bin rule say attempt to deport di men dey against order wey im bin give say dem gatz allow migrants to challenge di decision to carry dem go anoda kontri. Dem later divert dat plane go Djibouti, for East Africa, wia dem bin lock di men inside one shipping container for one US military base as court dey hear di case. Dem refer di case to Supreme Court wey allow di deportations to continue, but no tok weda dem see South Sudan as safe place for di migrants. "Wetin we don see for similar cases be say dem dey mostly deny pipo legal help wen dem need am, and di case dey start wen tins don already cast," Dr Edwards tok. "For dis case, dem don already dey road dey go US military base and dat na deep wahala." She add say court gatz remove hands from politics, especially wen e concern basic rights. Prof Brescia warn say di Supreme Court decision fit set dangerous precedent. "Di real concern be say e go encourage di goment to move even faster, bifor pipo go fit go courts at all," im tok. Eswatini and South Sudan safe? In addition to di process wey dey deny dem, dem dey potentially send di migrants go kontri wey no safe - breaking international law. Di US State Department dey currently advise pipo make dem no travel go South Sudan sake of threats including crime, armed conflict and kidnapping. Earlier dis year, tori be say di kontri wey be one of di poorest for world, almost return to civil war. "E get some real concern about law and order for South Sudan - about violence, instability, and ongoing conflict," Dr Edwards tok. Tori be say di pipo wey dem deport go South Sudan dem detain dem for one facility for di capital, Juba, wey dem sabi say e dey for poor conditions, according to political activist, Agel Rich Machar. Di goment neva still confam dia location or how long dem go spend for detention. For Eswatini, wey be one small landlocked kingdom for southern Africa, officials say di migrants dey for one prison and dem go repatriate dem wit support from International Organization of Migration (IOM). Di US State Department say Eswatini prisons dey face problems of overcrowding, poor ventilation, and beta food and health services no dey. "We no dey see am say dem go stay dia long enough to become part of di society," Eswatini goment tok-tok pesin Thabile Mdluli tell BBC, witout giving any any sign of how long dem go stay for di kontri, or weda dem go serve di rest of dia sentences first. Di US goment say di pipo wey dem deport go Eswatini commit "barbaric" crimes including child rape, murder and sexual assault. Eswatini pipo don dey begin para.. Di kontri biggest opposition party, di People United Democratic Movement (Pudemo) say di agreement between di two kontris na "human trafficking wey dem disguise as deportation deal". Pro-democracy activist Lucky Lukhele say make di kontri no become "dumping ground for criminals". Even if dem don break international law, Prof Super say di US fit no face di consequences as dem no recognise many international courts. "Dis be like say na about deterrence, unto say dem dey send message say if you come US dem go treat you collect veri, veri harshly," im tok. Even witout all di legal palava, third kontri deportation dey put pipo wey already dey vulnerable for unfamiliar environments wit small support or legal status, Dr Edwards tok. "Na veri yeye idea." She stress say human rights community no dey try to block each and evri deportation - na only wia pipo dey face human rights violations. Wetin dey inside for di host kontris? Di koko informate inside di deportation deals na big secret. Ms Mdluli tell BBC say Eswatini reasons for accepting di deportees "go remain classified information for now". However, both di Eswatini and South Sudan goments say na dia strong ties wit US be key motivation. Prof Brescia dey suggest say some kontris dey fear say US fit revenge if dem refuse, like stricter visa rules or higher tariffs. For April, US say e go revoke all visas wey dem give to South Sudan kontri pipo afta dem refuse to accept one deported citizen. E no clear if dat one don change now wey dem don gree accept deportees from US. Political activist Machar say South Sudan don also agree to dis deal as dem want make US lift sanctions on Vice-President Benjamin Bol Mel. US goment issue sanctions against Bol Mel for 2021 sake of alleged corruption and dem renew am dis year. However, oda kontris, like Nigeria neva gree. "We get enough problems of our own," Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar tok for July, as dem reject request to accept detainees from Venezuela. Dr Edwards add say dat kain deals dey always come wit some beta, we go jinja di kontris. "For past arrangements of third-kontri deportations, large sums of money, military and security cooperation, na part of di package," she tok. For March, tori be say Trump goment say dem go pay El Salvador $6m (£4.5m) to accept Venezuelan deportees.
Reuters
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Azerbaijan leader says he wants Russia to admit it accidentally shot down passenger plane killing 38
KHANKENDI, Azerbaijan, July 19 (Reuters) - Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan, on Saturday said he wanted Russia to publicly acknowledge that it had accidentally shot down an Azerbaijani passenger plane in December last year, killing 38 people on board, and to punish those responsible. President Vladimir Putin apologised at the time to Aliyev for what the Kremlin called a "tragic incident" over Russia in which an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed after Russian air defences opened fire against Ukrainian drones. But he stopped short of saying Russia had shot down the aircraft. Aliyev, speaking at a news conference in the city of Khankendi during an event called The Global Media Forum, made clear that he wanted much more from Moscow whom he accused of inaction following the downing of the airliner. 'We know exactly what happened — and we can prove it. Moreover, we are confident that Russian officials also know what happened,' Aliyev said. 'The real question is: why didn't they do what any responsible neighbour should do?' He said Azerbaijan expected the incident to be formally acknowledged, for those responsible to be held accountable, for compensation to be paid to victims' families and those injured, and for Moscow to reimburse the cost of the destroyed aircraft. 'These are standard expectations within the framework of international law and good-neighbourly relations,' he said. Flight J2-8243, en route from Baku to the Chechen capital Grozny, crash-landed near Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from southern Russia, where Ukrainian drones were reported to be attacking several cities. Thirty-eight people were killed and 29 survived. Ties between Moscow and Baku have seriously deteriorated in recent months after Russian police detained a group of ethnic Azerbaijanis living in Russia and accused them of various historic crimes. Speaking at the same event, Aliyev said he wanted a transit corridor to be opened between Azerbaijan and its exclave of Nakhchivan that would run via Armenia. Aliyev said: 'We are talking about unimpeded state access from Azerbaijan to Azerbaijan. And we understand this literally — we are talking about a connection between parts of one country.' He said that, if and when it is set up, that Azerbaijani train passengers should not be exposed to physical danger from Armenian civilians whom he accused of throwing stones at such trains in the Soviet era and called for 'reliable and verifiable' security guarantees. 'This is an absolutely legal and fair demand,' Aliyev said. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on July 16 that the U.S. had offered to manage the potential transport corridor. The potential corridor, which Baku is keen to secure, would run roughly 32 km (20 miles) through Armenia's southern Syunik province, linking the majority of Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan, an Azerbaijani exclave that borders Baku's ally Turkey. The transit link is one of several stumbling blocks to a peace deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia, neighbours in the South Caucasus region who have fought a series of wars since the late 1980s and remain arch rivals. The countries said in March they had finalised a draft peace deal, but the timeline for signing it remains uncertain.
Reuters
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
El Salvador to send detained Venezuelans to Caracas in prison swap for Americans, sources say
WASHINGTON, July 18 (Reuters) - El Salvador's government will send detained Venezuelans to Caracas in exchange for Americans held in Venezuela, two U.S. government officials told Reuters on Friday. One of the officials said El Salvador would send 238 Venezuelans held in its maximum security CECOT prison to Caracas and that the Venezuelan government would release five U.S. citizens and five U.S. permanent residents to American custody. The second official confirmed the exchange was taking place and said the figures appeared to be close to what was expected. Venezuela's Communications Ministry and El Salvador's presidency did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The U.S. State Department declined to comment. The White House and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Venezuelans were sent to El Salvador in March after President Donald Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to swiftly deport alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang without going through normal immigration procedures. Family members of many of the Venezuelans and their lawyers deny they had gang ties, and say they were not given a chance to contest the Trump administration's allegations in court. Venezuela's government has always decried the CECOT detention of its citizens as a violation of human rights and international law. But the government's critics say the country holds activists and opposition figures in similar conditions in Venezuela.
CTV News
15-07-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Equatorial Guinea urges UN to block the sale of a Paris mansion seized by France
Vice-President of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, addresses the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, at UN headquarters. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File) THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Lawyers for Equatorial Guinea accused France of 'neo-colonial' behaviour on Tuesday, urging United Nations judges to block the sale of a mansion on one of Paris' poshest avenues in the latest instalment in a long-running legal tug-of-war over the multimillion-dollar property. The African country filed a case at the International Court of Justice in 2022, alleging France is violating international law by refusing to return assets seized during a corruption investigation into Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the son of Equatorial Guinea's long-serving president. France's approach 'may be described as paternalistic and even neo-colonial. We cannot accept such disdain for our sovereignty from France,' Carmelo Nvono-Ncá, Equatorial Guinea's agent, told The Hague-based court. Equatorial Guinea has asked the court for a series of urgent orders, known as provisional measures, to return the swanky mansion on one of Paris's most prestigious streets, Avenue Foch, and to prevent France from selling the building. Obiang was convicted in 2017, and given a three-year suspended sentence for embezzling millions of dollars in public money. French authorities seized money, luxury vehicles and the building, which boasts a hammam, a cinema and a night club. The 57-year-old has faced scrutiny for corruption in other countries as well. In 2021, he was sanctioned by the United Kingdom for misappropriating public funds, including spending US$275,000 on the bejeweled glove that Michael Jackson wore on his 'Bad' tour. Switzerland and Brazil have also opened investigations into his finances. In 2020, the International Court of Justice ruled that the building was a private residence, not a diplomatic outpost, rejecting a claim from Equatorial Guinea that the seizure violated international law. Equatorial Guinea returned to The Hague in 2022, arguing the French government was obliged to return the assets based on a UN anti-corruption convention. Despite its oil and gas riches, Equatorial Guinea has a dramatic gap between its privileged ruling class and much of the impoverished population. The former Spanish colony is run by Africa's longest-serving president, Obiang's father Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. Molly Quell, The Associated Press
The Independent
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Equatorial Guinea urges UN to block the sale of a Paris mansion seized by France
Lawyers for Equatorial Guinea accused France of 'neo-colonial' behavior on Tuesday, urging United Nations judges to block the sale of a mansion on one of Paris' poshest avenues in the latest instalment in a long-running legal tug-of-war over the multimillion-dollar property. The African country filed a case at the International Court of Justice in 2022, alleging France is violating international law by refusing to return assets seized during a corruption investigation into Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the son of Equatorial Guinea's long-serving president. France's approach 'may be described as paternalistic and even neo-colonial. We cannot accept such disdain for our sovereignty from France," Carmelo Nvono-Ncá, Equatorial Guinea's agent, told The Hague-based court. Equatorial Guinea has asked the court for a series of urgent orders, known as provisional measures, to return the swanky mansion on one of Paris's most prestigious streets, Avenue Foch, and to prevent France from selling the building. Obiang was convicted in 2017, and given a three-year suspended sentence for embezzling millions of dollars in public money. French authorities seized money, luxury vehicles and the building, which boasts a hammam, a cinema and a night club. The 57-year-old has faced scrutiny for corruption in other countries as well. In 2021, he was sanctioned by the United Kingdom for misappropriating public funds, including spending $275,000 on the bejeweled glove that Michael Jackson wore on his 'Bad' tour. Switzerland and Brazil have also opened investigations into his finances. In 2020, the International Court of Justice ruled that the building was a private residence, not a diplomatic outpost, rejecting a claim from Equatorial Guinea that the seizure violated international law. Equatorial Guinea returned to The Hague in 2022, arguing the French government was obliged to return the assets based on a U.N. anti-corruption convention. Despite its oil and gas riches, Equatorial Guinea has a dramatic gap between its privileged ruling class and much of the impoverished population. The former Spanish colony is run by Africa's longest-serving president, Obiang's father Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
