UN rapporteur to take part in former Labour leader Corbyn’s ‘Gaza tribunal’

Jeremy Corbyn speaks at a pro-Palestinian rally in central London. (Reuters/File Photo)
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Updated 23 August 2025
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UN rapporteur to take part in former Labour leader Corbyn’s ‘Gaza tribunal’

  • The event, titled the “Gaza tribunal,” will be held on Sept. 4 and 5 at Church House in Westminster

LONDON: A UN special rapporteur will contribute to a two-day “tribunal” into Britain’s role in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has announced.

Corbyn said Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, would take part in the hearings, which are being organized by his Peace and Justice Project, The Guardian newspaper reported on Saturday.

The event, titled the “Gaza tribunal,” will be held on Sept. 4 and 5 at Church House in Westminster.

Speaking at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival on Saturday, Corbyn said the initiative was intended to fill the gap left by the government’s decision to block his private member’s bill calling for an official inquiry into the UK’s role in the conflict.

The bill was halted at its second reading in July.

“We’ve invited people to make submissions — lawyers and others, and voices from Gaza and the West Bank, and other places — in order to put forward their view on the policy. And Francesca Albanese has agreed to take part and put forward her view on the legality of it,” he said.

Corbyn said Albanese was “very keen to support it and get involved,” and compared the event to the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war.

He added that the hearings would seek answers on issues including the use of the RAF Akrotiri airbase during the conflict.

A website dedicated to the tribunal says it will “examine Britain’s role in war crimes perpetrated in Gaza” by “hearing from experts and witnesses,” and “establish the full scale of our government’s complicity in the genocide against the Palestinian people.”

Last month, 22 NGOs, including Action Aid, backed Corbyn’s call for an inquiry and said they would consider supporting an independent tribunal if the government rejected his proposal.


Swiss government bans purchase and import of Russian gas

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Swiss government bans purchase and import of Russian gas

  • Switzerland is tightening restrictions on Russian diplomats accredited in the EU
  • It matched the EU’s economic sanctions on Russia since the invasion of Ukraine 4 years ago

GENEVA: Switzerland’s government on Wednesday announced that the purchase and import of Russian liquefied natural gas would soon be completely banned, as the Alpine nation aligns itself with the latest round of EU sanctions.
“From 25 April, a complete ban on the purchase and import of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) will apply in Switzerland,” the government said in a statement.
It added though that in the case of pre-existing long-term supply contracts, a transition period would apply until the end of the year.
“The measure aims to reduce Russia’s revenues from the sale of fossil fuels, which are a major source of funding for the war against Ukraine,” it said.
The move was among a number of measures adopted by the Swiss government on Wednesday to align with the European Union’s 19th package of sanctions against Russia, adopted by the bloc late last year.
Non-EU member Switzerland has since the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago matched the bloc’s economic sanctions on Russia.
Bern said Wednesday it had decided on other measures in the financial sector which will come into force this week, including a ban on providing cryptocurrency services to Russian citizens and companies.
Transactions involving certain rouble-backed cryptocurrencies, such as stablecoin A7A5 have also been banned, the government said, adding that it had also extended the ban on using certain specialized messaging services for payment transactions.
Among other measures decided Wednesday was tightening restrictions on Russian diplomats accredited in the EU, who will now need to give advance notice if they transit through or enter Switzerland.