Questions tagged [international-law]
For questions on the relationships and relations between states and between nations, as relating to relevant law and statute. If your question isn't really politically oriented, consider asking it on our sister site Law Stack Exchange.
431
questions
0
votes
0
answers
69
views
On what legal basis do the U.S. troops occupy this Syrian territory? [duplicate]
The U.S. troops occupy a part of Syria where they have Al-Tanf base.
Looking for reasons why is that, I read from the same Wikipedia source:
U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton said in early ...
- 5,904
9
votes
6
answers
11k
views
Why isn't bombing cities under any circumstance a war crime? Same applies to launching attacks from cities
While there are rules in place, I think within the Geneva Conventions, regarding the protection of civilian infrastructure, the legal interpretation and application can vary. Deliberately targeting ...
- 5,904
-1
votes
1
answer
244
views
What recourse do international relief workers have if refugee camps where they work are bombed? [closed]
Israel's Netanyahu led government has recently been bombing Palestinian refugee camps:
Nov 01, 2023: Israel’s deadly attack on the Jabalia refugee camp: What we know so far
Nov 02, 2023: Gaza ...
- 6,680
-4
votes
4
answers
195
views
When was the last time Hamas acted against a UN resolution?
https://twitter.com/giladerdan1/status/1724905990284271686?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1724905990284271686%7Ctwgr%5E9c93fd6a6efe475ed8783dccca23a83fd1c27593%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&...
- 30.1k
3
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Is there any international law that prohibits the use of nuclear weapon against another country?
Since around 2018, Chinese experts have concluded that Washington’s
nuclear posture now poses increasing challenges to China’s deterrent.
In particular, they have been concerned about shifts in U.S. ...
- 30.1k
3
votes
1
answer
193
views
Does international law hold an Army accountable for killings done by other groups during a military attack?
Consider a situation where a country is partially occupied by another. An army unit strikes across a border town of the occupying force. Their military objective is to destroy an enemy defensive unit, ...
- 6,680
1
vote
0
answers
100
views
Why is the humanitarian crisis in Israel seen as an opportunity to violate the human rights of certain groups in certain countries?
With the world’s attention focused on the carnage in Israel and Gaza,
there is an urgent need to protect civilians at risk of further forced
displacement or mass expulsion. Unfortunately, others are ...
- 30.1k
4
votes
1
answer
124
views
Did any authority of note opine that the 1991-2002 Iraq no-fly zones amounted to occupation?
Regarding the Iraq no-fly zones of pre-invasion time.
This military action was not authorised by the United Nations. The Secretary-General of the UN at the time the resolution was passed, Boutros ...
- 144k
3
votes
1
answer
333
views
Did any ICC member state country ever refuse to arrest members indicted by the ICC?
This has huge implications, because if IDF and government officials
are indicted, over 125 ICC member state countries, including most of
the EU, could be put in the difficult position of being ...
- 30.1k
3
votes
2
answers
445
views
What are the political impediments for a country in sending aid to Palestinians in Gaza, without an international consensus?
As we are all aware, recently 1,400+ people (mostly civilians, including women, children and babies) were killed in Israel in a terrorist attack by Hamas. In revenge (note that this is Israel's state ...
- 6,680
2
votes
3
answers
569
views
On what basis did the Russian ambassador to the UN say "Israel Has No Right to Self-Defense as Occupier"?
From this:
Russian Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzya tells the world body that
Israel does not have the right to self-defense under international law
in its fight against Hamas because it is an “...
- 5,904
6
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Is there no presumption in international law that people fleeing from a country at war are valid refugee applicants?
A fairly upvoted answer to a Q here writes:
There is no obligation to "accept them" if they are still in Gaza
IMHO there is a difference however between just being in Gaza and standing ...
- 144k
11
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Is the requirement to accept refugees unconditional in international law, even in the case of a forced population transfer?
In a translation of a document allegedly leaked from the Israeli government the following claim appears:
Israel should act to evacuate the civilian population [of Gaza] to Sinai. [...] and the return ...
- 144k
0
votes
4
answers
300
views
How justified are the US strikes against the IRGC troops of Iran in Syria from the point of view of international law?
Pentagon(U.S. Department of Defence 26 October 2023:
Today, at President Biden’s direction, U.S. military forces conducted
self-defense strikes on two facilities in eastern Syria used by Iran’s
...
- 452
2
votes
3
answers
592
views
Is the presence of the US forces in Syria contradictory to UN Charter articles 2.4 and 51?
US troops and bases are located in Syria without UN sanction or the Syrian government's permission.
UN Article 2.4 states:
All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat ...
- 452
1
vote
1
answer
245
views
What makes political asylum case "strong"?
What constitutes "strong case" that persuades people to grant political asylum to people requesting it?
Does it usually have to elicit more public outrage because of blood, tortures and ...
- 1
6
votes
3
answers
1k
views
What happens if a party signs a treaty and ratifies it but the other although signing it does not ratify it?
The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, adopted in 1996 and known as the CTBT, bans all nuclear explosions anywhere in the world, although it has never fully entered into force. It was signed by ...
- 171
0
votes
2
answers
427
views
Does the United Nations have a responsibility to pressure Israel to establish a safe corridor to Egypt for those wishing to flee from Gaza?
I would like to know if the United Nations has a responsibility, due to what is stated in its Charter, to begin pressuring Israel as soon as possible to ensure that there exists a safe corridor to ...
- 519
45
votes
6
answers
14k
views
Is the Israeli "complete siege" on Gaza strip a war crime?
Reading this from BBC:
On Monday, Israel declared a "complete siege" on the territory, saying
electricity, food, fuel and water would be cut off.
Is this a war crime or illegal in any way ...
- 5,904
0
votes
2
answers
409
views
Has the downing of a spy airplane ever been a justifying ground for waging war or causing an escalation that might lead to war?
Both the cause of the collision and the assignment of blame were
disputed. The U.S. government stated that the Chinese jet bumped the
wing of the larger, slower, and less maneuverable EP-3. After
...
- 30.1k
3
votes
1
answer
367
views
Can sea level rises potentially impact territorial dispute claims?
Can sea level rises potentially impact territorial dispute claims, particularly in areas where maritime boundaries are defined by coastlines or specific geographical features?
Due to global warming, ...
- 30.1k
6
votes
4
answers
752
views
What are the practical differences between a "special military operation" and a war?
I have read a lot about why Russia wanted to call their invasion a "special military operation" (there were wildly different opinions) and I am now interested in the practical aspects of ...
- 2,518
4
votes
5
answers
4k
views
Can the U.S. do anything to block China's ability to block merger deals?
https://www.reuters.com/technology/intel-walk-away-54-bln-acquisition-tower-semiconductor-sources-2023-08-16/
NEW YORK, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Intel Corp (INTC.O) scrapped its $5.4
billion deal to buy ...
- 30.1k
2
votes
3
answers
251
views
Is it common to have territorial claims that exceed by the limitations established by the UNCLOS?
China’s demands exceed the legal claims established by UNCLOS, even
though that treaty was ratified by Beijing. The PRC claims are based
in a map named ‘Map of Chinese Islands in the South China Sea,’
...
- 30.1k
8
votes
8
answers
5k
views
What prevents foreign companies from setting up business in Russia so as to not pay any compensation to patent owners from the West?
https://sanctionsnews.bakermckenzie.com/russia-adopts-zero-compensation-to-patent-owners-from-unfriendly-countries/
The Russian Government has adopted a decree[1] which will allow local
companies and ...
- 30.1k
5
votes
2
answers
292
views
Is there a process for certifying that a signatory to Geneva conventions is a bad-faith signatory?
Geneva conventions create a different (greater) set of obligations, by signatory states, towards the other signatory states than they do towards the non-signatory ones.
This creates an incentive for ...
- 7,889
0
votes
0
answers
52
views
Was North Korea sanctioned for providing arms and advisors to Libya?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_North_Korea
In this article, we see that North Korea was caught providing weapons and advisors to Libya during the civil war, but I am wondering if ...
- 30.1k
0
votes
0
answers
54
views
Have any nations that are not UNCLOS members stated plans to start mining in international waters?
Deep Sea mining in international waters is regulated by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The convention has been ratified by 167 state parties, excluding the US and ...
- 52.6k
12
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Deep sea mining, what is the international law/treaty situation?
First, the negative view:
Crunch talks due on deep-sea mining controversy - BBC News
Scientists fear a possible "goldrush" for precious metals beneath the oceans could have devastating ...
1
vote
3
answers
1k
views
Is there a stronger measure that Japan can take to obtain legality or justification for releasing treated radioactive water?
Japan will soon begin releasing treated radioactive water into the
ocean following approval from the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog for
a controversial plan that comes 12 years after the Fukushima ...
- 30.1k
11
votes
5
answers
5k
views
Is there a legal way for a country to gain territory from another through a referendum?
I was wondering if there's a historical precedent for this. Russia gained territory, but it did so after invading it and using the referendum as a way to convince it was justified. Puerto Rico was a ...
- 30.1k
-3
votes
2
answers
123
views
Can China discriminate all Western companies involved in critical technologies now that the U.S. banned critical technologies to China? [closed]
YMTC recently acquired semiconductor manufacturing equipment from Western companies with the intention of utilizing them in their factory and receiving ongoing maintenance and support. The tools' ...
- 30.1k
1
vote
2
answers
263
views
When and how are the terms of surrender determined in a war?
I was wondering about that. Let's say that the Chinese sink an American ship accidentally and it escalates into a war, how does China raise the white flag, and does the United States have the ...
- 30.1k
-2
votes
2
answers
426
views
Under what political circumstances does the international community consider a political leader as a dictator?
Elections in Ukraine will be held in 2024 only if martial law is ended
by then, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview
with the BBC on June 22.
Zelenskyy emphasized that ...
- 30.1k
18
votes
3
answers
5k
views
Can the crimes of mercenary groups such as Wagner be attributed to the countries using them?
Can the crimes of mercenary groups such as Wagner be attributed to the countries using them? The U.S. also have the infamous Blackwater group, so I am wondering if there exist laws that holds the ...
- 30.1k
27
votes
8
answers
11k
views
Why does Russia see NATO as an aggressor when the Istanbul document signed by Russia grants each participant the right to chose its allies separately?
The Istanbul document was a declaration signed in 1999 by Russia and Ukraine. Its legal character is similar to that of the Declaration of Human rights.
It contains the following paragraph:
We ...
- 1,044
12
votes
1
answer
2k
views
What are the exact transgression(s) that Norway is complaining about regarding Sweden's off-course rocket's recovery?
The BBC's April 26, 2023 Norway criticises Sweden's response after research rocket goes awry begins:
Sweden has got into hot water with Norway after one of its research rockets malfunctioned and ...
- 16.5k
-1
votes
1
answer
213
views
Moon countries? [duplicate]
We are about to colonize the moon. One of Nasa's officials warns about China potentially claiming territory of the Moon. Since the Moon is by definition not part of the Earth, shouldn't all countries ...
- 141
30
votes
6
answers
6k
views
Why does a state have to have a single, well-defined, internationally-recognized "Capital"?
This is partly motivated by the question of whether or not Jerusalem is Israel's capital, but my question is broader.
Why should a state have a single, well-defined "capital city"? Why does ...
- 357
1
vote
3
answers
211
views
is it possible for crimes against humanity to be stopped by international law?
The Genocide¹ and apartheid² conventions both have withdrawal clauses
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genocide_Convention¹
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apartheid_Convention²
same for the statute of ...
user45449
23
votes
3
answers
3k
views
On what grounds do the USA-affiliated forces and citizens reside in Syria if Syrian government objects?
Last evening was marked by news of an American citizen dying in Syria.
It seems that USA hosts military personnel in a sovereign country, Syria, without the consent of that country, and reportedly ...
- 13.9k
2
votes
1
answer
261
views
Can the ICC try Ethiopia or any country involved in the Tigray war for war crimes?
Kassahun Molla Yilma, former head of Jimma University School of Law
and prosecutor, argued in February 2021 that for the Mai Kadra
massacre of the Tigray War and other atrocities taking place in
...
- 30.1k
6
votes
3
answers
2k
views
How is the ICC warrant supposed to restrict Putin's travel abroad given that he's in possession of diplomatic immunity?
According to The Guardian:
Putin is likely to evade justice in the near future: Russia does not
recognise the court’s jurisdiction, and insisted on Friday it was not
affected by the warrants. But the ...
- 52.6k
12
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Is an ICC warrant sufficient to override diplomatic immunity in signatory nations?
As per recent news:
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant
for Russian President Vladimir Putin over alleged war crimes in
Ukraine, a move dismissed by Moscow as ...
- 52.6k
12
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Is it legal to dump fuel on another aircraft in international airspace? What about on a drone?
Video released by the US shows Russian aircraft repeatedly dumping fuel on a US drone, said to be in international airspace. While the subsequent collision was probably not intended, it's hard to ...
- 144k
-3
votes
3
answers
416
views
Has the British Government acted illegally in revoking Shamima Begum's citizenship? [closed]
Under international law, it is illegal to revoke a citizen's citizenship leaving them stateless.
The British government, after a journalist discovered Shamima Begum, a British citizen, in a refugee ...
- 8,249
5
votes
3
answers
734
views
Can all countries freely determine what's considered to be their legal jurisdiction?
Can all countries freely determine what's considered to be their legal jurisdiction?
Here's another little example of the way that the U.S. is extending
its legal system in various extraterritorial ...
- 30.1k
2
votes
2
answers
181
views
What is the common procedure that countries tend to follow during a sovereign debt default?
There is no formal procedure in international law for a sovereign debt
default. Argentina followed common practice by allowing the US courts
to resolve how much should be repaid and when, under a ...
- 30.1k
5
votes
1
answer
2k
views
What authority does the United States have to hold and try persons accused of assassinating the Haitian president?
It's about U.S. Charges Four in Connection With the Assassination of Haiti’s President article:
The decision to charge the men, considered to be ringleaders in the
assassination plot, in the United ...
- 1,332
8
votes
3
answers
415
views
What are the legal and political consequences of exporting arms to a third-party country without the manufacturer country consent?
Poland has signalled that they may provide Ukraine with Leopard tanks even without Germany consent? What are legal and political consequences to Poland should they do it?
What if some other country ...
- 1,761