ICC Sentences Rebel Ugandan Leader: Daily Brief

Lord's Resistance Army leader sentenced by the International Criminal Court; the EU is split over whether or not to continue blocking wider COVID vaccine production globally; French envoy in Beirut should push for sanctions and accountability; South Sudan National Security Service needs to change; an investigation on Kyrgyz-Tajik border clashes is necessary; Iranian students call on Supreme Leader to respect rights; Poland is breaking EU law with judicial changes; Canada makes a positive step toward First Nations food security; and governments need to mitigate climate protecting rights.

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The International Criminal Court (ICC) imposed a 25-year-sentence on Dominic Ongwen, a former leader of the Ugandan Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). The sentence marks an important milestone in the search for justice for victims of the grave international crimes committed by this armed group in Uganda.

After the US and other governments announced their support for a temporary intellectual property waiver on Covid-19 vaccines, top officials from EU members France, Italy, Poland and Spain also expressed their support, but at the EU level, the move seems blocked by Germany. 

During his visit to Lebanon, France's foreign minister should increase the pressure on corrupt Lebanese politicians and push for an international investigation on last year's Beirut blast. 

South Sudan's government should work to transform its National Security Service from a feared agency silencing dissent into one that respects fundamental rights and freedoms.

A new EU court opinion says Poland is breaking EU law with the ruling party's politicized changes to the judiciary.

After the ceasefire at the Kyrgyz-Tajik border, both governments should investigate the conflict.

Hundreds of students of Teheran University signed a letter asking Iran’s supreme leader to intervene to ensure detained students' due process rights are respected and that they receive a fair trial. The two students are charged with “corruption on earth,” which can carry the death penalty.

The right to food of First Nations in Canada was taken into consideration in the country's 2021 budget, addressing severe climate change impacts on these communities. 

Climate mitigation policies should be advancing the rights of women & forest-dependent communities to strengthen initiatives to protect carbon sinks.