International Legal News - 08 December 2025
- Ned Vucijak
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
The following media round up on international and foreign policy issues from around the world for the period of 01 December to 05 December 2025.
Guernica 37 will provide weekly media updates from the International Criminal Court, European Court of Human Rights, United Nations, European Union and other sources. Should you wish to contribute or submit a media summary, opinion piece or blog, please send to Ned Vucijak at nenadv@guernica37.com for consideration.
5 December 2025
Senior official in Libyan prison accused of crimes against humanity
The chief of a Libyan prison has appeared before the International Criminal Court (“ICC”) on Wednesday.
Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri was arrested on 16 July following the issuance of an arrest warrant by the ICC. He is accused of six counts of war crimes, and six counts of crimes against humanity.
It is alleged that from February 2015 – early 2020, he is accused to have overseen the occurrence of torture, rape, sexual violence, and murder while as a senior official at the prison.
For more on this story, see here.
4 December 2025
Blog Corner: “Two Birds, One Bill: How BBNJ National Legislation Can Tackle UNCLOS Deep Seabed Mining Gaps”
A post written by Hannah Lily and Samantha Robb will be of interest to practitioners and academics with a specialist on the law of the sea and public international law. It examines an Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Martine biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (“BBNJ”), which will enter into force on 17 January 2026.
To read this article, see here.
3 December 2025
UK hosts State visit for the President of the Federal Republic of Germany
The Federal President of the German Federal Republic, Mr Frank-Walter Steinmeier and First Lady and former judge Ms. Büdenbender, were welcomed to the UK by King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
A State banquet at Windsor Castle included speeches from both Heads of State.
For more on this story, see here.
To read the statements delivered by both Heads of State, see here.
2 December 2025
Panel hears Kosovan hydropower case
It has been reported that arbitral proceedings are being heard about Kosovo’s investments in hydropower plants.
An Austrian energy utility is pursuing claims against Kosovo, after becoming party to protracted legal proceedings in the country’s courts.
For more on this story, see here.
1 December 2025
Iran sentences award-winning director to year in prison for ‘propaganda activities’
The Palme d’Or-winning film maker, Jafar Panahi, has been sentenced in absentia to one year in prison and a travel ban over “propaganda activities” against the country. Panahi’s lawyer has indicated that an appeal would be filed against the ruling.
Panahi won the Cannes film festival’s top prize this year for the film, It Was just an Accident, which tells the story of five ex-inmates who mull whether to exact revenge on a man they believe to be their former jailer. The win was reportedly lauded by Iranian media.
The news follows an incident in 2010, when Panahi was banned from making films and from leaving Iran after supporting mass anti-government protests a year earlier and making films that were critical.
For more on this story, see here.