Displaying items by tag: International Court of Justice

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has confirmed that it has jurisdiction to hear cases filed by Armenia and Azerbaijan, two long-standing adversaries. The cases stem from the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, with both nations accusing each other of violating the international convention on racial discrimination. Armenia accuses Azerbaijan of engaging in ‘ethnic cleansing’, while Azerbaijan claims Armenia has spread hate speech and racist propaganda. The ICJ had previously issued emergency orders to prevent the incitement of racial hatred and protect ethnic Armenians fleeing Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan’s military actions in 2023. While the court’s rulings are binding, it lacks enforcement power. The cases are still in the early stages, with the court narrowing the scope of certain claims and excluding others. The process could take years to resolve, as both nations await the next hearings and a final ruling on the merits of their claims.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has denied Nicaragua's request for emergency measures to halt Germany's arms sales to Israel, claiming that this violated the UN genocide convention. Germany is a key ally of Israel and its second-largest arms supplier after the USA, supplying 30% in 2023. Nicaragua also accused Germany of breaching the UN genocide convention by halting funding for UNRWA, the UN's aid agency, over allegations of staff involvement in attacks on Israel. While Germany welcomed the ICJ's decision, it said that it is the largest donor of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, and that it was working ‘urgently’ to ensure that aid reaches the people of Gaza. The ICJ's decision on emergency measures came swiftly, but a final ruling could take years: it will now decide if it has jurisdiction over the case. Nicaragua, a longtime supporter for the Palestinian cause, has itself often been criticised for its human rights issues, including crackdowns on dissent and protests.

On 31 January, Russia and Ukraine conducted a prisoner exchange. Russia claimed that each side received 195 soldiers, but Volodymyr Zelensky said that 207 Ukrainian soldiers had been returned. This was the 50th exchange since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and the first such swap since the recent plane crash which Russia claimed had 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war on board. There are continuing doubts in Kyiv regarding this assertion, especially because no photographs have been released showing dozens of dead bodies. Both sides have called for an international investigation, and the details of the incident remain unverified. In another development, the International Court of Justice has ruled that Russia violated terrorism and anti-discrimination treaties: see

South Africa has appealed to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to force Israel to ‘immediately suspend’ its military operations in Gaza. While acknowledging the ‘particular weight of responsibility’ of accusing Israel of genocide, Pretoria has also ‘unequivocally’ condemned the Hamas attacks in October which touched off the war. President Isaac Herzog has called this complaint ‘atrocious and preposterous’: Israel will present its case to the court on 12 January. As it is an urgent procedure, the ICJ could rule in a matter of weeks: although its rulings cannot be appealed, its decisions are not binding. However, a ruling against Israel would certainly increase political pressure on the country and might serve as a pretext for sanctions. Meanwhile, the UN has passed a resolution demanding ‘immediate, safe, and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance directly to the Palestinian civilian population throughout the Gaza Strip’: see