Anthropocene or thanatocene?
4.5 million post-9/11 deaths | A look at the first assessment of the OSCE Election Observation Mission in Turkey | The thousand and one lives of a former Rwandan gendarmerie officer | And more...
Law Not War #4, and without further ado…
… the topics of the week:
4.5 million deaths caused by post-9/11 wars
A quick look at the first assessment of the OSCE Election Observation Mission in Turkey
The thousand and one lives of a former Rwandan gendarmerie officer tried in Paris
In Mali, the investigator under investigation
What the Austrian State Treaty could tell us about Ukraine
And more….
And a quick little quiz, right now
Editor's note: tomorrow, Thursday, being a non-working day in the French Republic, Law Not War is published this Wednesday. Thank you for your kind understanding.
The quick little quiz
What is the meaning of the term "thanatocene":
A time marked by an increase in mortality due to natural disasters.
A time when death has become a central issue for society and the environment.
A historical period characterized by a significant decrease in mortality.
You’ll find the correct answer at the end of the newsletter.
Until then, happy reading!
Maxence
Saved from the World-Wide Web those past few days
😥 4.5 million deaths caused by post-9/11 wars, according to a report (The Washington Post)
A recent report from Brown University sheds light on the indirect consequences of post-9/11 wars, estimating the death toll at 4.5 million. Most of these deaths are due to deteriorating conditions in the affected countries.
Main conclusions of the article:
The millions of indirect deaths highlight the widespread impacts of conflict on human rights and local populations.
Limitations of the study include reliance on incomplete data, making it difficult to quantify the true extent of the problem. Despite these limitations, the results can inform policy discussions and humanitarian responses in conflict zones.
🇹🇷 Elections in Turkey marked by unlevel playing field yet still competitive (OSCE)
Without discussing the results of the elections in Turkey last week, it seemed wise to me to take a look at the first assessment of the OSCE Election Observation Mission in the country.
Key takeaways:
The legal framework is insufficient for holding democratic elections, with political interference and criminalization of some political forces.
The devastating earthquakes affected voter turnout, despite efforts by authorities and civil society to enable those affected to vote.
The administration of the elections lacked transparency, communication and independence.
The tone of the campaign was polarized, negative and incendiary, with pressure and prosecution against people in the opposition.
Freedom of expression was limited and the media showed bias.
But, overall,“the elections (…) well-managed and offered voters a choice between genuine political alternatives.”
🇲🇱 In Mali, the investigator under investigation
And RFI article tells us that Mali plans to start investigating the UN fact-finding mission (“and its accomplices”). In question, the methods used to produce the Report on the events of Moura from March 27 to 31, 2022. Excerpt from the executive summary:
The fact-finding mission concluded that several hundred people were killed between March 27 and 31 during the military operation in Moura. (…) In view of the information collected, verified and corroborated by the fact-finding mission, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has reasonable grounds to believe that at least 500 people were killed in violation of the norms, standards, rules and/or principles of international human rights law and international law between 27 and 31 March during the military operation in Moura.
🇷🇼 Genocide in Rwanda: the thousand and one lives of the gendarmerie officer tried in Paris (Justice Info)
Former Rwandan officer Philippe Hategekimana, naturalized French under the name of Philippe Manier, pleaded not guilty during his trial to genocide, crimes against humanity and participation in a plan to commit these crimes.
The trial, which is taking place in Paris, is the fifth in France concerning the genocide of Tutsis in Rwanda. Justice Info delivers us here a clear and compelling story.
🇺🇦🇦🇹 What the Austrian State Treaty could tell us about Ukraine today (Responsible Statecraft)
On May 15, 1955, the Austrian State Treaty was signed, ending foreign occupation and granting Austria independence and neutral status. This decision led to the successful transformation of post-war Austria into a stable and prosperous nation. A model of inspiration for Ukraine?
Why it matters:
Austria's neutrality has created political continuity and stability, offering a lesson for Ukraine in its ongoing conflict.
Vienna became an important center for international organizations, highlighting the advantages of neutrality.
The historical example of Austrian neutrality could inspire alternative solutions for contemporary geopolitical problems.
⚖️Long, but a very good read : the prosecutor who does not please everyone, and especially not Putin (The Intercept)
The article focuses on Karim Khan's tenure as the third prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and examines the positive and negative aspects of his actions. Khan's aggressive and determined approach draws both praise and criticism. While his bold moves have revitalized the ICC and demonstrated its ability to hold high-level officials accountable for crimes, they also raise concerns about the court's credibility and potential limits to the pursuit of justice.
Key takeaways:
A bold approach. Khan energized the ICC with his aggressive style, but that also drew criticism.
Controversies and unclear political connections. Khan's ties to powerful figures and his role as an advocate have raised ethical concerns and possible witness interference.
🗎 Report of the week*
UJAR 2023: “Universal jurisdiction more than ever at the service of the fight against impunity”
The Universal Jurisdiction Annual Review 2023 (UJAR) 2023, published by TRIAL International, highlights the growing use of universal and extraterritorial jurisdiction to fight impunity for international crimes. The report identifies 27 new cases last year, out of a total of 93 covered, reflecting this trend. National authorities have been mobilized to prosecute the atrocities committed in Ukraine during the Russian invasion, and new investigations are also targeting economic actors.
The year 2022 has been marked by significant progress, with historic convictions in Germany, Sweden and France, bringing the total number of convictions based on universal jurisdiction to 78 since the first edition of the report in 2015.
The report is available here (in English).
*Okay, the report is from last month, but I missed it
Also rescued from the World-Wide Web
In Corrèze, research to find a mass grave of German soldiers executed by resistance fighters in 1944 (Liberation/AFP)
France: sigh of relief for universal jurisdiction (Justice Info)
How the Wagner group carries out timber trafficking in the Central African Republic (RFI)
War in Ukraine: an African mission for peace soon in kyiv and Moscow (RFI)
Agone and Chomsky in Ukraine: the complacency of the French left (Morvan Lallouet)
War in Ukraine: the Council of Europe creates an international register of damage caused by the Russian invasion (Liberation)
Council of Europe summit in Iceland seeks to hold Russia to account for waging war in Ukraine (AP)
International Criminal Court is using digital evidence to investigate Putin – but how can it tell if a video or photo is real or fake? (The Conversation)
Colombia's transitional justice cannot agree on how to prosecute environmental crimes (Justice Info)
To fix eastern DRC, take away guns and allow the creme of society to rise to the top (The EastAfrican)
If you’re still reading this, 👏 (and thanks). This is the end of this edition, thank you for stopping by :)
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Maxence
Currently listening to: La mauvaise réputation, The Doug
P.S.: Prefer to read in French? Lucky you: this is a bilingual publication.
The correct answer to the quiz
Number 2, thanatocene is the time when death has become a central issue for society and the environment.
The Fanzine Climax explains that the term thanatocene is used by some to qualify our era (we would therefore be in the thanatocene era), starting“from the postulate that wars, for two centuries, have caused a major upheaval, which has resulted in an ever more vertical and brutal relationship between human societies and nature.”
The concept of the Anthropocene (we would therefore be in the Anthropocene era) emphasizes environmental changes resulting from human actions. And there are others, which I will refrain from quoting as the list is long.