Dr Melanie O'Brien
@drmelob.bsky.social
A/Prof Int Law & AssocDean (Research) UWA. Visiting Scholar @umnlawschool.bsky.social. Aust Red Cross volunteer. Int crim law; genocide studies; IHL; human rights. All posts my opinion.
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-3571
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-3571
Pinned
So, the Libyan general wanted by the #ICC for #torture, who was arrested then released by #Italy, has been arrested in #Libya... for torture, but not the same crimes he is wanted by the ICC for (which incl rape & murder), so ICC can still prosecute. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Libyan general accused of crimes against humanity arrested in Tripoli
Osama Almasri Najim was arrested in Italy in January on an ICC warrant, only to be released and flown back to Libya
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 5:05 AM
So, the Libyan general wanted by the #ICC for #torture, who was arrested then released by #Italy, has been arrested in #Libya... for torture, but not the same crimes he is wanted by the ICC for (which incl rape & murder), so ICC can still prosecute. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Private intelligence firm commission by #Qatar to find dirt (read: connection to #Israel) on the woman who has accused Karim Khan of sexual misconduct. (No connection found!) www.theguardian.com/law/2025/nov...
Revealed: Qatar-linked intelligence operation targeted ICC prosecutor’s alleged victim
Exclusive: Woman who accused Karim Khan of misconduct was subject of covert operation involving two British private intelligence firms
www.theguardian.com
November 9, 2025 at 4:28 AM
Private intelligence firm commission by #Qatar to find dirt (read: connection to #Israel) on the woman who has accused Karim Khan of sexual misconduct. (No connection found!) www.theguardian.com/law/2025/nov...
"Hundreds of #university staff have been killed, including deans and heads of department, sometimes in their own homes with their families. Thousands of students have been killed by Israeli attacks in #Gaza. Formal #education has been brought to a complete standstill." #genocide
"Despite the overwhelming evidence, the flagrant illegality, the profound damage to Palestinian self-determination, the protests and the pleas, these crimes continue without pause."
www.irishtimes.com/ireland/educ...
www.irishtimes.com/ireland/educ...
Higher education has been destroyed in Gaza
Academics call for sanctions as Israel’s actions against education in Gaza draw condemnation
www.irishtimes.com
November 7, 2025 at 9:22 AM
"Hundreds of #university staff have been killed, including deans and heads of department, sometimes in their own homes with their families. Thousands of students have been killed by Israeli attacks in #Gaza. Formal #education has been brought to a complete standstill." #genocide
#ICC confirmed charges of #warCrimes & #CaH against #Kony in absentia, but proceedings are in limbo 'until Mr Kony is notified of the decision upon his surrender to the Court', & he won't be tried in absentia. #intLaw www.icc-cpi.int/news/kony-ca...
Kony case: ICC Pre-Trial Chamber III confirms the charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity; accused still at large
On 6 November 2025, Pre-Trial Chamber III of the International Criminal Court ("ICC" or "Court") issued a decision confirming all the 39 charges brought by the Prosecutor in the case The Prosecutor v...
www.icc-cpi.int
November 7, 2025 at 9:19 AM
#ICC confirmed charges of #warCrimes & #CaH against #Kony in absentia, but proceedings are in limbo 'until Mr Kony is notified of the decision upon his surrender to the Court', & he won't be tried in absentia. #intLaw www.icc-cpi.int/news/kony-ca...
#sandwichGuy found not guilty of assault. Which sounds really traumatic for the CPB agent, who apparently could 'smell the onions & the mustard'. How will he ever recover... #democracy #resist apnews.com/article/sand...
Man who threw sandwich at federal agent in Washington is found not guilty of assault charge
A former Justice Department employee who threw a sandwich at a federal agent during President Donald Trump’s law enforcement surge in Washington has been found not guilty of assault.
apnews.com
November 6, 2025 at 11:18 PM
#sandwichGuy found not guilty of assault. Which sounds really traumatic for the CPB agent, who apparently could 'smell the onions & the mustard'. How will he ever recover... #democracy #resist apnews.com/article/sand...
Great discussion by Sands w/Oli Simic about her new book on Biljana Plavšić, which is an important exposé of a genocidaire & war criminal; & a lesson for int crim courts to learn about guilty pleas & early release. #intLaw #Bosnia #Serbia #ICTY observer.co.uk/culture/book...
Inside the mind of Serbia’s ‘Madam War Criminal’
Biljana Plavšić was the first woman to be convicted of war crimes, for her role in the bloody conflict in Bosnia. Olivera Simić tracked her down in Belgr...
observer.co.uk
November 6, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Great discussion by Sands w/Oli Simic about her new book on Biljana Plavšić, which is an important exposé of a genocidaire & war criminal; & a lesson for int crim courts to learn about guilty pleas & early release. #intLaw #Bosnia #Serbia #ICTY observer.co.uk/culture/book...
Mutasim Ali & Yonah Diamond on the #genocide in #Sudan (RSF seeking to wipe out non-Arabs). Of note: 'in the lead-up to the El Fasher takeover, #UAE ramped up cargo flights transferring advanced drones, heavy weaponry, vehicles, mortars, & ammunition to the RSF.' foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/05/h...
How to Stop the Genocide in Sudan
A murdering militia still depends on international legitimacy to survive.
foreignpolicy.com
November 6, 2025 at 10:40 AM
Mutasim Ali & Yonah Diamond on the #genocide in #Sudan (RSF seeking to wipe out non-Arabs). Of note: 'in the lead-up to the El Fasher takeover, #UAE ramped up cargo flights transferring advanced drones, heavy weaponry, vehicles, mortars, & ammunition to the RSF.' foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/05/h...
New book 🚨: Lights and Shadows: The Ongwen Case at the International Criminal Court, eds Juan-Pablo Pérez-León-Acevedo & Fabio Ferraz de Almeida. Incl. chapter by @profkmm.bsky.social, Valerie Oosterveld & me on the forced marriage findings in the Ongwen case. brill.com/display/titl...
brill.com
November 5, 2025 at 3:27 AM
New book 🚨: Lights and Shadows: The Ongwen Case at the International Criminal Court, eds Juan-Pablo Pérez-León-Acevedo & Fabio Ferraz de Almeida. Incl. chapter by @profkmm.bsky.social, Valerie Oosterveld & me on the forced marriage findings in the Ongwen case. brill.com/display/titl...
@sevslv.bsky.social & I spoke to Middle East Eye about the potential/challenges for the #ICC to take action against individuals in UAE for atrocities in Darfur, Sudan. It’s complicated! #intLaw www.middleeasteye.net/news/sudan-c...
Could the ICC pursue Emirati complicity for RSF crimes in Sudan’s Darfur?
The International Criminal Court has investigated Sudanese nationals for Darfur atrocities. But how about the RSF’s main providers of arms?
www.middleeasteye.net
October 31, 2025 at 12:46 PM
@sevslv.bsky.social & I spoke to Middle East Eye about the potential/challenges for the #ICC to take action against individuals in UAE for atrocities in Darfur, Sudan. It’s complicated! #intLaw www.middleeasteye.net/news/sudan-c...
Interview w/Marianne Hirsch, who says we need to teach about the #Holocaust differently: no exceptionalism; more contextualisation & connection to other events. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/31/o...
October 31, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Interview w/Marianne Hirsch, who says we need to teach about the #Holocaust differently: no exceptionalism; more contextualisation & connection to other events. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/31/o...
#Germany has filed preliminary objections in the case #Nicaragua brought against it relating to #OPT #Gaza. #ICJ has given Nicaragua until Feb26 to file response. Merits suspended for now. #Genocide #IHL #GenCon #intLaw www.icj-cij.org/sites/defaul...
www.icj-cij.org
October 31, 2025 at 1:12 AM
#Germany has filed preliminary objections in the case #Nicaragua brought against it relating to #OPT #Gaza. #ICJ has given Nicaragua until Feb26 to file response. Merits suspended for now. #Genocide #IHL #GenCon #intLaw www.icj-cij.org/sites/defaul...
Got missed in the flurry over the AO on #Israel & the #UN re #OPT. #ICJ has again extended deadline for Israel's written memorial in the #SouthAfrica v Israel #Genocide Convention case, to March 2026. #GenCon #intLaw www.icj-cij.org/sites/defaul...
www.icj-cij.org
October 31, 2025 at 1:07 AM
Got missed in the flurry over the AO on #Israel & the #UN re #OPT. #ICJ has again extended deadline for Israel's written memorial in the #SouthAfrica v Israel #Genocide Convention case, to March 2026. #GenCon #intLaw www.icj-cij.org/sites/defaul...
Ba ha ha ha 🤣 🤣 chaser.com.au/general-news...
QLD Art students realise they studied the wrong Michelangelo – The Chaser
"They asked about his mastery of the craft, so I assumed they meant nunchucks."
chaser.com.au
October 30, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Ba ha ha ha 🤣 🤣 chaser.com.au/general-news...
Happening here, too. Same responses to misconduct allegations, indicating use of automation platforms to write responses.
Two professors at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign said they grew suspicious after receiving identical apologies from dozens of students they had accused of academic dishonesty. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/u...
Their Professors Caught Them Cheating. They Used A.I. to Apologize.
www.nytimes.com
October 30, 2025 at 4:28 AM
Happening here, too. Same responses to misconduct allegations, indicating use of automation platforms to write responses.
Easy to do!
Turn off Gemini in Google!
It's been turned on by default.
Go to your Drive, click the gear icon, click settings, go to "manage apps" and uncheck that nasty "use by default" box.
www.zdnet.com/article/how-...
It's been turned on by default.
Go to your Drive, click the gear icon, click settings, go to "manage apps" and uncheck that nasty "use by default" box.
www.zdnet.com/article/how-...
How to turn off Gemini in your Gmail, Docs, Photos, and more - it's easy to opt out
It's a little hidden, but there is a way to remove Gemini from your favorite Google services.
www.zdnet.com
October 30, 2025 at 3:28 AM
Easy to do!
Hinton on our #AUS news about #USA senate candidate who had a #Nazi symbol tattooed on his chest. Hinton says his main concern is still with the right wing of US politics, where apologies over Nazi references and symbols are less forthcoming.
Appreciated the chance to speak on ABC Australia TV about #Nazi symbolism controversy in US politics www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-gW...
US Democratic Senate candidate apologises for tattoo of Nazi symbol | ABC NEWS
YouTube video by ABC News (Australia)
www.youtube.com
October 30, 2025 at 3:26 AM
I got to visit the #SouthAfrica Constitutional Court on the weekend. A beautiful building w/so much significance in its design. Located on the site of fmr prison as a reminder of injustice & how not to corrupt the legal system. #law
October 28, 2025 at 6:02 AM
I got to visit the #SouthAfrica Constitutional Court on the weekend. A beautiful building w/so much significance in its design. Located on the site of fmr prison as a reminder of injustice & how not to corrupt the legal system. #law
#ICC judges reject jurisdictional challenge from #Duterte. But his fitness to stand trial will be assessed later. (Of course, he was perfectly healthy until his suddent health problems upon arriving in The Hague. Another old perp who will try to get away w/crimes) www.reuters.com/world/asia-p...
www.reuters.com
October 24, 2025 at 9:29 AM
#ICC judges reject jurisdictional challenge from #Duterte. But his fitness to stand trial will be assessed later. (Of course, he was perfectly healthy until his suddent health problems upon arriving in The Hague. Another old perp who will try to get away w/crimes) www.reuters.com/world/asia-p...
New SR OPT report on the complicity of influential Third States in the #Gaza #genocide. Looks at sanctions, diplomatic relations, military ties, facilitation of the degradation of living conditions, economic & trade relations. Quite a few states mentioned, esp #USA, #UK, #Germany, #Italy & EU.
"Gaza Genocide: a collective crime"
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967.
www.ohchr.org/en/documents...
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967.
www.ohchr.org/en/documents...
A/80/492: "Gaza Genocide: a collective crime" – Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967. - Advance unedited version
SummaryThe ongoing genocide in Gaza is a collective crime, sustained by the complicity of influential Third States that have enabled longstanding systemic violations of international law by Israel. Fr...
www.ohchr.org
October 23, 2025 at 7:59 AM
My thread on the #ICJ's AO ruling. #Israel has been hammered, its obligations under treaty law & CIL made clear. Honestly, nothing surprising, just the ICJ confirming #intlaw obligations. But plenty of noting of Israel's violations of intLaw. Sebutinde out in the cold as was expected.
Time for another #ICJ ruling! Advisory Opinion on Obligations of Israel in relation to the Presence and Activities of the United Nations, Other Int Organizations & Third States in & in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory dropping now.
October 22, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Time for another #ICJ ruling! Advisory Opinion on Obligations of Israel in relation to the Presence and Activities of the United Nations, Other Int Organizations & Third States in & in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory dropping now.
October 22, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Time for another #ICJ ruling! Advisory Opinion on Obligations of Israel in relation to the Presence and Activities of the United Nations, Other Int Organizations & Third States in & in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory dropping now.
@mikebecker.bsky.social & I quoted in this Al Jazeera article on the #SouthAfrica v #Israel #ICJ case. #intLaw www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10...
Will Gaza ceasefire change South Africa’s ICJ genocide case against Israel?
South African leaders say the case to hold Israeli leaders accountable will continue, despite the ceasefire in Gaza.
www.aljazeera.com
October 20, 2025 at 2:10 PM
@mikebecker.bsky.social & I quoted in this Al Jazeera article on the #SouthAfrica v #Israel #ICJ case. #intLaw www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10...
MN ❤️✊🐸❌👑
October 18, 2025 at 9:01 PM
MN ❤️✊🐸❌👑