Anna Petrig

The war dead and their gravesites

International humanitarian law (IHL) contains various provisions pertaining to the dead in armed conflicts and their burial places. This article provides an overview of the various substantive obligations with regard to persons having lost their lives in armed conflicts and their gravesites. The temporal scope of application of these provisions – namely whether they apply in times of peace – will also be analysed. Finally, the reasons why IHL as in force today is applicable to questions concerning the dead and their gravesites will be considered.

Human Rights and Law Enforcement at Sea

Excerpt of table of contents: Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations Introduction I. Hypothesis: Piracy Suspects Are Holders of International Individual Rights II. Scope of the Study: Disposition in Light of International Individual Rights III. Case Studies: Methodology Applied Part 1 Disposition of Piracy Cases: The Context I. The Phenomenon: Somali-Based Piracy II. A Janus-faced Response: Internationalized Policing and Domestic Prosecution III. Building a Bridge: Interlocking Policing and Prosecution IV. Paving the Way for Prosecutions: Disposition of Piracy Cases V. Conclusions on Disposition of Piracy Cases: The Context Part 2 Disposition of Piracy Cases: The Practice I. Disposition in an Interstate Setting: Denmark II. Disposition in a Multinational Context: EUNAVFOR III. Conclusions on Disposition of Piracy Cases: The Practice Part 3 Disposition of Piracy Cases: Applicable Legal Frameworks I. International Humanitarian Law II. International Refugee Law III. International Human Rights Law Part 4 Arrest and Detention in Light of International Individual Rights I. Arrest and Detention of Piracy Suspects in Light of the Right to Liberty II. Procedural Safeguards for Piracy Suspects Deprived of Their Liberty III. Conclusions on Arrest and Detention Part 5 Transfer Decision Procedure in Light of International Individual Rights I. A Conditional Right Not to Be Transferred: Non-Refoulement II. Right to an Individual Non-Refoulement Assessment III. Right to Be a Party to Transfer Proceedings IV. Conclusions on Transfer Decision Procedure Concluding Remarks I Bibliography II United Nations Documents III Table of Cases IV Table of Legislation.

THE USE OF FORCE AND FIREARMS BY PRIVATE MARITIME SECURITY COMPANIES AGAINST SUSPECTED PIRATES

The legal framework pertaining to the use of private armed guards protecting merchant ships from Somalia-based piracy is complex, sometimes ambiguous, and currently in a state of flux. Against the background that commercial shipping increasingly relies on Private Maritime Security Companies and that various regulatory projects on the subject matter are underway, this article sketches out what domestic and international rules govern the use of force and firearms by private armed guards on board merchant ships today. It concludes that at this juncture an effort to coordinate this legal framework is necessary, both regarding the interpretation of existing rules and the creation of new norms.

UN-mandatierte Piraterie-Bekämpfung im Golf von Aden

Ende 2009 hat der Sicherheitsrat der Vereinten Nationen das Mandat zur Piraterie-Bekämpfung vor Somalias Küste und auf somalischem Festland um weitere zwölf Monate verlängert. Der Sicherheitsrat hatte erstmals Anfang Juni 2008 auf die besorgniserregende Zunahme von Piratenangriffen reagiert. Trotz aller Bemühungen dauert die Seeräuberei an und verlagert sich zunehmend in den westlichen Indischen Ozean. Im Jahr 2010 wird es daher vor allem auch darum gehen, neue, langfristige Lösungsansätze zu finden und umzusetzen. Während ein internationales Piraten-Tribunal wenig realistisch zu sein scheint, könnten Piraten-Kammern in nationalen Gerichten eine solche Lösung darstellen.

Human rights in counter-piracy operations : no legal vacuum but legal uncertainty

The Security Council has set an ambitious goal for itself: the full and durable eradication of piracy. In order to achieve this objective, it has amongst others set up an ad hoc legal framework authorizing States and regional organizations to take counter-piracy enforcement measures in Somali territorial waters and on its mainland. The powers conferred by the Resolutions supplement the existing legal instruments to combat piracy on the high seas, such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.