MIAMI: A prominent human rights attorney has quietly parted ways with the International Criminal Court to protest what he sees as an unjustified failure of its chief prosecutor to indict members of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro ‘s government for crimes against humanity, The Associated Press has learned.
The Chilean-born Claudio Grossman, a former law school dean at American University in Washington and past president of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, was appointed special adviser to ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan in November 2021. In that unpaid position, he advised Khan on the deteriorating human rights situation in Venezuela.
In a harshly worded email last month to Khan, Grossman said his ethical standards no longer allow him to stand by silently as Maduro’s government continues to commit abuses, expel foreign diplomats and obstruct the work of human rights monitors from the United Nations — without any action from the ICC.
“I can no longer justify the choice not to take correspondingly serious action against the perpetrators of the grave violations,” Grossman wrote in an email rejecting an offer by Khan’s office in September to renew his contract.
A copy of the email, which has not been made public, was provided to the AP by someone familiar with the ICC investigation into Venezuela. A phone call by Khan asking Grossman to reconsider also failed, according to the person on the condition of anonymity to discuss the politically sensitive investigation.
Following AP’s inquiries with Khan’s office, Grossman’s name was removed from the court’s website listing him as a special adviser.
“The Prosecutor is extremely grateful to Professor Grossman for the expertise and work he has rendered,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement without addressing Grossman’s stated reasons for cutting ties with the court based in The Hague, Netherlands. Grossman declined to comment.
The pressure on Khan to indict Venezuelan officials, including Maduro himself, comes as he battles allegations of misconduct with a female aide and the threat of US sanctions over his decision to seek the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in Gaza.
The Rome Statute that established the court took effect in 2002, with a mandate to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide — but only when domestic courts fail to initiate their own investigations.
Calls for faster progress in the court’s only ever investigation in Latin America have grown louder as Maduro tightens his grip on power, preparing to be sworn in for a third term Jan. 10 following an election marred by serious allegations of ballot box fraud and a post-election crackdown. More than 2,000 people were arrested and 20 killed following the vote.
The US and even some fellow leftist leaders in Latin America have demanded authorities present voting records, as they have in the past, to refute tally sheets presented by Maduro’s opponents showing their candidate, Edmundo González, prevailed by a two-to-one margin.
Many in Venezuela’s opposition have complained that the ICC is applying a double standard, moving aggressively to seek the arrest of Netanyahu and Russia’s Vladimir Putin for atrocities in Gaza and Ukraine while showing undue leniency with Venezuelan officials Khan has been investigating for more than three years.
“There is no justification whatsoever for the inaction,” González and opposition leader María Corina Machado wrote in a recent letter to Grossman and 18 other special advisers to the court appealing for their help.
“What is at stake is the life and well-being of Venezuelans,” they added in the letter, which was also provided to the AP by the person familiar with the ICC investigation. “This unjustifiable delay will cast legitimate doubts about the integrity of a system of accountability that has been an aspiration for the whole world.”
At the request of several Latin American governments, Khan three years ago opened an investigation into Venezuelan security forces’ jailing, torture and killing of anti-government demonstrators. At the same time, he promised technical assistance to give local authorities an opportunity to take action before the ICC, a tribunal of last resort.
Earlier this month, Khan delivered some of his harshest comments to date about the human rights situation in Venezuela, warning that officials’ repeated promises to investigate alleged abuses “cannot be a never-ending story.”
“I have not seen the concrete implementation of laws and practices in Venezuela that I hoped for,” he said in a speech at ICC headquarters. “The ball is in Venezuela’s court. The track of complementarity is running out of road.”
Maduro’s government, in response, said in a statement that it “deeply regrets that the prosecutor is being led astray by campaigns that have emerged on social networks promoted by the extreme right, Zionism and Western powers seeking to apply legal colonialism against Venezuela.”
Some Venezuelan critics have linked what they view as foot-dragging to a potential conflict of interest involving Khan’s sister-in-law, international criminal lawyer Venkateswari Alagendra, who has appeared on behalf of the Venezuelan government in two hearings before the court.
An ICC code of conduct directs prosecutors to abstain from any conflicts that may arise from “personal interest in the case, including a spousal, parental or other close family, personal or professional relationship with any of the parties.” Alagendra has previously worked with Khan and his wife defending Seif Al-Islam Qaddafi, the son of the Libyan dictator, at the ICC.
Khan’s office declined to comment about the relationship. But in a filing this month seeking dismissal of a request for recusal filed by the Washington-based Arcadia Foundation, he said a sister-in-law is not a close enough personal relationship requiring automatic disqualification and that he doesn’t recall ever discussing the Venezuela probe with Alagendra, who is just one of several attorneys defending the South American government.
“No fair minded and informed observer would conclude that there is a real possibility of bias,” Khan wrote, adding that he continues to actively and independently investigate the situation in Venezuela.
Those claiming to be victims of the Maduro government have pushed for the court to wrap up its investigation without taking a position on whether Khan should be recused.
After millions of Venezuelans have fled Maduro’s rule, many for neighboring countries, regional governments are also anxiously awaiting progress.
“Many in Latin America expect the ICC prosecutor to have a more muscular response,” said Juan Papier, deputy director for the Americas at Human Rights Watch. “The prosecutor’s office has spent too much time, so far fruitlessly, trying to work with Venezuela authorities to push for domestic investigations. Widespread impunity and lack of judicial independence in Venezuela make the ICC the most viable path for justice.”
Prominent human rights attorney quits international court over failure to prosecute Venezuela
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Prominent human rights attorney quits international court over failure to prosecute Venezuela
- Grossman said his ethical standards no longer allow him to stand by silently as Maduro’s government
Germany's far-right AfD sends out mock plane tickets for migrants
Several migrants have posted on social media about receiving the tickets over the past few days
BERLIN: German police said Tuesday they are investigating after the far-right AfD distributed election campaign flyers in the style of one-way plane tickets to send migrants home.
The flyers are labelled "Deportation Ticket" and feature the passenger’s name as "Illegal Immigrant" and the destination as "Safe Country of Origin".
AfD campaign demands -- such as cutting benefits for non-Germans and an end to "Islamisation" -- are also listed on the flyers distributed in the southwestern city of Karlsruhe.
Several migrants have posted on social media about receiving the tickets over the past few days, although the AfD has denied specifically sending them to foreigners.
The campaign has sparked a backlash in Germany, with critics comparing the stunt to the one-way tickets to Jerusalem that were distributed by the Nazis in the 1930s.
A Karlsruhe police spokesman told AFP an investigation had been launched into the possible charge of incitement to hatred after a tip-off from a member of the public.
The AfD in Karlsruhe has said in a statement that the flyers were being distributed in the city "in as large a number as possible and without any special requirements or restrictions".
"It is intended to bring our demands in this area, which are fully in line with the law, to the attention of the voters," it said.
The AfD has been buoyed ahead of Germany's election on February 23 after winning the endorsement of US tech billionaire Elon Musk.
One survey at the weekend had the party polling at 22 percent, just eight points behind the CDU/CSU conservatives who are widely expected to lead the next government.
Emboldened by the support of Musk, the imminent return of Donald Trump to the White House and events in neighbouring Austria -- where the far right is on the brink of power -- the AfD has been sharpening its rhetoric as the election campaign heats up.
At a party congress last weekend, the AfD's top candidate Alice Weidel explicitly called for the "remigration" of foreigners.
Marcel Bauer, a parliamentary candidate for the far-left Die Linke, accused the AfD of using "fascist methods to incite hatred".
"This threat against our fellow citizens must have consequences," he said.
UK anti-corruption minister resigns over ties to ousted Bangladesh PM
- Tulip Siddiq, 42, had repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and Prime Minister Keir Starmer said last week he had full confidence in her
- Siddiq was named as part of Bangladesh’s investigation into whether her family were involved in siphoning off funds from Bangladeshi infrastructure projects
LONDON: The British minister responsible for financial services and fighting corruption resigned on Tuesday after weeks of questions over her financial ties to her aunt Sheikh Hasina, ousted last year as prime minister of Bangladesh.
Tulip Siddiq, 42, had repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and Prime Minister Keir Starmer said last week he had full confidence in her.
The resignation of a second government minister in two months is a blow to Starmer, whose approval ratings have plunged since his Labour Party won a general election in July.
Siddiq was handed the portfolio for financial services policy after the election, a role that included responsibility for measures against money-laundering.
In a statement, Siddiq said although an investigation into her financial affairs found she had not breached the ministerial code of conduct, her position was “likely to be a distraction from the work of the government.”
“I have therefore decided to resign from my ministerial position,” she said.
Starmer swiftly appointed Emma Reynolds, who was a pensions minister, to Siddiq’s role.
Hasina, who had ruled Bangladesh since 2009, is being investigated there on suspicion of corruption and money laundering. Hasina and her party deny wrongdoing.
Siddiq was named in December as part of Bangladesh’s investigation into whether her family were involved in siphoning off funds from Bangladeshi infrastructure projects.
The anti-corruption commission alleged financial irregularities worth billions of dollars in the awarding of a $12.65 billion nuclear power contract, saying Hasina and Siddiq may have benefited.
After facing further scrutiny over the use of properties in Britain linked to Hasina and her supporters, Siddiq referred herself to the government’s independent ethics adviser.
Siddiq lived in a north London property given to her family in 2009 by Moin Ghani, a Bangladeshi lawyer who has represented Hasina’s government, documents filed with Companies House and the Land Registry show.
She also acquired a separate property in London in 2004, without paying for it, from a developer linked to the Awami League, Hasina’s political party, the Financial Times reported this month.
Hasina fled Bangladesh after being toppled following weeks of protests.
Siddiq’s departure follows the resignation of British transport minister Louise Haigh late last year. Haigh acknowledged a minor criminal offense before she entered government, relating to a mobile phone that she had wrongly reported stolen.
Pokrovsk mine halts work as Russia advances in Ukraine
- The mine and the city of Pokrovsk are at risk of being captured by Russian forces
- The site is Ukraine’s last producer of coking coal — a key pillar for the war-torn economy used in the production of steel
kYIV: A major coal mine around the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk halted operations and evacuated staff, the operator said on Tuesday, with advancing Russian troops just a few kilometers from its facilities.
The mine and the city of Pokrovsk are at risk of being captured by Russian forces, who are pressing hard to try to seize the strategically important city in Ukraine’s Donetsk region.
“Metinvest announces the suspension of operations at Pokrovske Coal due to the evolving frontline conditions, power supply shortages and the deteriorating security situation,” the mine’s owner, steelmaker Metinvest, said in a statement.
“Faced with a deteriorating security situation, we cannot risk the lives of thousands of employees and their families,” CEO Yuriy Ryzhenkov said in a statement.
The site is Ukraine’s last producer of coking coal — a key pillar for the war-torn economy used in the production of steel.
It employed around 10,000 people before the war and produced 5.6 million tons of coal in 2023, according to the mine’s CEO Andriy Akulych.
The closure is a blow to Ukraine, whose economy has been ravaged by the Russian invasion.
The eastern Donbas region, that Russia claims as its own and where the toughest fighting has taken place, is Ukraine’s historic industrial heartland, a bedrock of heavy industry dating back to the Soviet era.
The Pokrvosk mine was also a major source of exports and contributed “significant” revenues to the state budget, the company said, adding that it was “implementing an emergency action plan to ensure the supply of essential raw materials” to its steel plants elsewhere in Ukraine.
That included increasing deliveries from the group’s US-based coal company and using up reserves — though experts said Ukrainian steel would likely become less competitive without access to the mine’s coal.
“With the loss of Pokrovsk, the steel industry would need to import coking coal, which will most likely increase of the price of Ukrainian steel products leading to a decrease of its exports,” Volodymyr Landa, senior analyst of Kyiv-based Center for Economic Strategy, told AFP.
Russian forces are around six kilometers (four miles) from the center of Pokrovsk, according to the DeepState website, which is close to the Ukrainian army.
The city is an important logistics hub and sits on a major road that runs west toward the city of Dnipro.
Controversial influencer Andrew Tate released from house arrest
- The US-born Briton has been under house arrest since late August 2024
- Andrew Tate has dismissed the case as a “set up“
BUCHAREST: A Romanian court on Tuesday lifted the house arrest order imposed on controversial influencer Andrew Tate, replacing it with judicial control, his spokesperson said.
The US-born Briton has been under house arrest since late August 2024, after authorities raided his home over accusations including forming an organized criminal group, trafficking of minors, sexual relations with a minor and money laundering.
At the time, his brother Tristan was placed under judicial control, which requires him to appear before authorities regularly.
Andrew Tate has dismissed the case as a “set up.”
The Bucharest Tribunal on Tuesday said it “replaces the measure of house arrest ordered against the defendant Andrew Tate with judicial control for 60 days,” according to a statement by the brothers’ spokesperson.
The judicial control measure grants Tate the freedom to travel throughout Romania, but he is not allowed to leave the country.
The court “rejects as unfounded the proposal to extend the measure of house arrest imposed on the defendant Andrew Tate” requested by prosecutors in early January, the statement added.
The ruling comes after a Romanian court last month granted an appeal by Tate in an older case, refusing to put him on trial over human trafficking charges for now, and referring the case back to prosecutors.
Prosecutors allege that 38-year-old Tate, his brother, 36, and two women set up a criminal organization in early 2021 in Romania and in Britain, and sexually exploited several victims. The brothers say they are innocent.
The Tates also face rape and assault allegations in separate cases in Britain, where they have also been accused of tax evasion.
Andrew Tate moved to Romania years ago after first starting a webcam business in the UK.
In 2016, Tate appeared on the “Big Brother” reality television show in Britain but was removed after a video emerged showing him attacking a woman.
He then turned to social media platforms to promote his divisive views.
Giving tips on how to be successful, along with misogynistic and sometimes violent maxims, Tate’s videos have made him one of the world’s best-known influencers.
Indian police arrest 44 men accused of raping teenager over five years
- Case came to light after the girl narrated gang rape to volunteer during a gender awareness program
- There were more than 31,000 reported rapes in 2022 in India, the latest year for which data is available
KOCHI, India: Police in India’s southern state of Kerala have arrested 44 men accused of raping an 18-year-old girl over a period of five years, a police official said on Tuesday, in a case that has shocked the coastal tourist resort.
The victim, an athlete who belongs to the so-called lower caste community known as Dalits, told police in a statement that she was sexually abused by 62 people over a period of five years.
Police have identified 58 of those men, some of whom are minors and arrested 44 over the last two days, officials said.
“We have identified the remaining 14 and they would be arrested soon,” the Deputy Superintendent of Police in the Pathanamthitta district where the crimes took place, PS Nandakumar, told Reuters.
The case came to light after the girl narrated the gang rape to a volunteer during a gender awareness program. Nandkumar, who heads the investigation, said details of how the crimes were committed were still being investigated.
In her statement to the police, the victim said the abuse began when she was 13 after her neighbor allegedly raped her.
Local media reported that four of the accused were minors.
Under Indian law, accused in rape cases that involve lower castes do not immediately get bail. Reuters was not able to reach any of the accused for a comment.
There were more than 31,000 reported rapes in 2022 in India, the latest year for which data is available, and conviction rates are notoriously low.
The rape and murder of a trainee doctor in the eastern city of Kolkata caused outrage across the country last year, with protests and street marches calling for action against the accused.
