A prominent pro-democracy businessman in Hong Kong has been sentenced to 20 years in prison under a national security law. China’s message to Hong Kong is clear: “There is no room for argument.” #HumanRights www.france24.com/en/asia-paci...

States are frustrated with the European Court of Human Rights' migration rulings. Domestic courts are using them to dramatically expand migrant rights. #UpholdingIL #MigrationLaw www.ejiltalk.org/the-steering...

The Intl Criminal Court has quickly and quietly changed its rules on procedure and evidence. It looks like states want Karim Khan to be fired. #CriminalLaw opiniojuris.org/2026/02/09/s...

In 2010, Haitian migrants received Temporary Protected Status in the US. Trump says it’s time for them to go home. Now a judge is intervening to allow the Haitians to stay, arguing that Trump officials are acting from “hostility to nonwhite immigrants.” #MigrationLaw bbc.com/news/article...

Rwanda has filed an arbitration case against the UK. A treaty says Rwanda would accept migrants for payments from the UK. The UK govt abandoned the plan but did not exit the treaty. Rwanda wants to be paid, as promised under the treaty. #MakingIL #MigrationLaw www.africanews.com/2026/01/28/r...

Saudi Arabia is changing its alcohol laws. Now non-Muslim foreigners can purchase alcohol if they pass a wealth test. Experts expect that alcohol laws will soon be relaxed for tourists, too. #HumanRights bbc.com/worklife/art...

A tourist destination in South Africa is about to run out of drinking water. The problem: leaky pipes and years of ignoring infrastructure maintenance. #BreakingIL #HumanRights bbc.com/news/article...

Does the Gaza peace plan violate the self-determination rights of the Palestinian people? Nandini Bulchandani argues that the UN Security Council is practicing colonialism. #CompetingPerspectives opiniojuris.org/2026/02/03/r...

Iraq has started a massive investigation of Islamic State fighters who have newly arrived from Syria. If Iraq can prosecute the fighters, they will face death sentences or life imprisonment for terrorism. #CriminalLaw www.lemonde.fr/en/internati...

What explains the claim of a Nigerian genocide against Christians? Chris Olaoluwa Ògúnmọ́dẹdé says that a global network of Christians has mobilized political support in the US. #CompetingPerspectives #HumanRights www.worldpoliticsreview.com/nigeria-chri...

Japan has found rare earth minerals in the deep seabed. Japan wants to reduce its dependence on China, so it looks like Japan is now firmly in the pro-mining camp for the deep sea. #SeaLaw #EnvironmentalLaw aje.news/9ugsig

Is the population of a seaside town suffering from discrimination because of climate change? The European Court of Human Rights thinks so. #HumanRights #EnvironmentalLaw www.ejiltalk.org/climate-just...

What's good for the goose is good for the tanker: Iran tries to stop US_flagged oil tanker. #SeaLaw #UseOfForce www.wsj.com/world/middle...

What do war criminals say? A new book by Damien Scalia contains interviews with 70 individuals prosecuted by international courts. “It’s unfair, it’s unfair.” #CriminalLaw www.justiceinfo.net/en/154966-wh...

France is changing its laws to remove “marital duty” from its civic codes. This is a long overdue reform that should help prevent sexual violence against women. #HumanRights f24.my/BhfY

Two firms have been suing Argentina in US courts for nationalizing an oil company. Argentina argues that the court lacks jurisdiction, but the case is moving forward anyways. #UpholdingIL #InvestmentLaw www.reuters.com/legal/govern...

Pakistan is facing an internal migration crisis. Over 70,000 people had fled a remote town because they fear an attack on the Pakistan Taliban #MigrationLaw aje.news/hqpbra

Will Bangladesh descend into violence again? Elections are coming soon and political activists are being killed. #HumanRights aje.news/84t3zq

Colombia and Ecuador are now fighting a trade war. And they are doing it in Trump-ian style. James Bosworth explains. #TradeLaw www.worldpoliticsreview.com/ecuador-colo...

A new BBC investigation finds that Russia is abusing Interpol to target domestic political opponents who are living abroad. #HumanRights bbc.com/news/article...

Is the Arctic protected by “collective rights”? Delli Santi wants an Arctic Treaty to “transform the fragility of [the Arctic’s] ice into hope, and the logic of power into the constraint of global justice.” #CompetingPerspectives #MakingIL #EnvironmentalLaw www.justiceinfo.net/en/154707-fa...

Countermeasures? Germany says it will “strike back, even abroad” against Russian cyberattacks. But first it must pass legislation … and design a new bureaucracy … and deal with court rulings … I don’t think the Russians are scared. #UpholdingIL #UseOfForce www.ft.com/content/b1ef...

After US punitive tariffs, Indian firms are seeking new partners. “You cannot depend on one country.” New treaties with the EU and UK should dramatically expend options. #TradeLaw www.ft.com/content/04cb...

Does Nicolas Maduro have immunity from the jurisdiction of US courts? Adrián Agenjo reviews what international law has to say. (I doubt that US courts will care about that, though.) #UpholdingIL www.ejiltalk.org/which-immuni...

A new ruling from the African human rights court involving people with albinism says states must provide effective protection, rather than mere procedural compliance. It’s a big win for advocates, but could fuel a backlash against the Court. #BreakingIL #HumanRights opiniojuris.org/2026/01/22/t...

Scientists will soon begin tests of whether deep sea rock release oxygen. This contentious claim might affect plans to begin deep sea mining. #SeaLaw #EnvironmentalLaw f24.my/BgXo.X

Sabotage! How does it fit into the law of armed conflict? #ArmedConflict lieber.westpoint.edu/intelligence...

Saudi Arabia relies on migrant workers. Is it running a system of “modern-day slavery”? #MigrationLaw www.worldpoliticsreview.com/saudi-arabia...

Food racism? An Indian student heated his palak paneer in a shared microwave. (Yummy!) A staff member at his university told him his food smelled bad. (Crazy.) Then the student said he faced retaliation. #HumanRights www.bbc.com/news/article...

Derogation in action: Guatemala has declared a state of emergency in response to prison riots that then triggered retaliatory attacks on police. #HumanRights aje.news/2udwff

Greenland’s economy relies on Asian migrant labor. That’s causing tensions with the Inuit, who resented foreigners taking jobs. #MigrationLaw www.ft.com/content/ae6f...

Good news: M23 troops have withdrawn from Uvira in the DRC. The Congolese Army is now back in charge and (hopefully) restoring order. #ArmedConflict f24.my/BgPz.X

“Repression works” Niall Ferguson argues that the Iranian protests won’t succeed because history isn’t on the side of counterrevolutions. Let’s hope he is wrong. #HumanRights www.thefp.com/p/niall-ferg...

Germany has been prosecuting ISIS crimes against the Yazidi. Stephanie Egerer-Uhrig describes some of the challenges that prosecutors faced during these trials. #UpholdingIL #CriminalLaw www.justsecurity.org/128802/prose...

Can states be responsible for floods and landslides? Debora Gunawan argues that states create conditions that turn rain into disaster. #BreakingIL #EnvironmentalLaw opiniojuris.org/2026/01/19/e...

ConocoPhillips isn’t eager to go back to Venezuela. Employees remember the kidnappings. And they want back the money that they are owed from the last times they were there. #InvestmentLaw www.wsj.com/business/ene...

Greenland trade war? Trump says he will raise taxes if he doesn’t set a solution on Greenland. Now the EU has a plan to retaliate. #TradeLaw www.ft.com/content/b287...

Deaths in the UK are about to outstrip births. One woman says that having a child “would completely ruin everything I like about life.” The main problems they identify: economic cost and poor maternity care. #HumanRights www.thefp.com/p/the-britis...

Tariffs matter: sawmills are shutting down across Ontario, Canada. One township hopes to replace lost jobs by becoming a depository for nuclear waste. #TradeLaw www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

The USMCA is set for review this year. And Trump is playing hardball. “It’s irrelevant … Canada wants it. They need it.” Prediction: revised USMCA to come in late 2026. #TradeLaw aje.news/1qcmf6

Some legislators are trying to crack down on pregnancy centers, which offer support to mothers. Will this harm efforts to combat human trafficking? #HumanRights www.thefp.com/p/i-escaped-...

Last year, Italy refused to surrender a wanted Libyan to the Intl Criminal Court. How did the ICC react? It did almost nothing. It seems like migration cooperation is more important than an ICC arrest warrant. Not surprising. #CriminalLaw www.justiceinfo.net/en/154252-li...

Gulf states are hiring private military contractors to fuel wars across the Middle East and North Africa. Mohammad Salami analyzes this trend. #ArmedConflict www.worldpoliticsreview.com/gulf-mercena...

Trump has ordered a tariff increase on anyone that does business with Iran. But how exactly will this work? #TradeLaw www.bbc.com/news/article...

Attack on Iran coming? The US is evacuating personnel from a base in Qatar. #UseOfForce www.wsj.com/world/middle...

A beautiful woman is luring foreign men to Russia to fight in the Ukraine war. Turns out, things aren’t like she promised. #MigrationLaw bbc.com/news/article...

Iran, Russia, and China are meeting up in South Africa this week for joint naval exercises. #SeaLaw www.wsj.com/world/africa...

Many signs show that India’s position in the world economy is weakening. Ruchir Sharma argues that India needs more foreign investment and less emigration by workers. #InvestmentLaw #MigrationLaw www.ft.com/content/999a...

The Iranian govt is hunting down Starlink dishes, trying to stop activists from sharing videos of the protests on the internet. #HumanRights www.wsj.com/world/middle...

Is the US military filled with “pirates”? No. Jennifer Parker explains why US actions against Venezuelan tankers do not violate international law. #SeaLaw www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...