分类： politics

In a significant judicial development, Iran’s Supreme Court has nullified the capital punishment verdict against Verisheh Moradi, a distinguished Kurdish leftist figure and member of the Community of Free Women of Eastern Kurdistan (KJAR). The court’s decision, citing substantial procedural flaws and investigative deficiencies in the initial trial, represents a rare judicial reversal in Iran’s legal system.

Moradi had been condemned to death in November 2024 by Branch 15 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court on charges of ‘armed rebellion’ stemming from her alleged involvement in the Mahsa Amini protests. The case originated from her arrest in August 2023, where authorities accused her of affiliation with the Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK), an organization linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

The Supreme Court’s annulment specifically highlighted the failure to properly notify Moradi of the precise charges against her during legal proceedings, constituting a violation of due process. Judicial authorities have now referred the case back to the original court for comprehensive review and renewed proceedings.

Moradi’s background includes combat experience against Islamic State forces in Syria, where she sustained injuries during the 2014 defense of Kobane. Despite her imprisonment, she remained politically active, co-signing a June 2024 prison letter condemning Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

This case occurs against the backdrop of Iran’s escalating use of capital punishment, which reached a concerning peak with at least 975 executions recorded in 2024—the highest number documented since 2015. The international community has consistently criticized Tehran’s application of the death penalty, particularly in cases involving political dissent and minority rights activists.

Simultaneously, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi was forcibly returned to prison after attending a memorial service, cutting short her provisional release granted for health reasons in December 2024. Mohammadi’s continued persecution underscores the challenging environment for human rights defenders within Iran’s judicial landscape.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has maintained a stance of non-commentary regarding serious allegations made by Karim Khan, the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC). In an official court submission dated Wednesday, Khan detailed an alleged campaign of intimidation he faced prior to seeking arrest warrants against Israeli leaders in May 2024.

According to the prosecutor’s filing with the ICC’s appeals chamber, a senior British government official reportedly threatened to withdraw UK funding and support for the international judicial body if Khan proceeded with warrants targeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The warrants concern alleged war crimes committed during military operations in Gaza.

Multiple investigative reports, including previous coverage by Middle East Eye (MEE), identify the official in question as David Cameron, who served as Foreign Secretary at the time of the alleged April 23, 2024 phone conversation. When pressed by MEE to confirm or deny the allegations and to clarify whether an investigation would be launched into the matter, the Foreign Office declined to respond, continuing a pattern of silence established since initial reports surfaced in June.

Khan’s submission describes receiving communication from the UK official who argued that pursuing warrants against Israeli leadership would be ‘disproportionate’ and could trigger financial repercussions for the court. This account appears to corroborate earlier reporting from MEE, which cited sources including former staff within Khan’s office who were familiar with the call’s minutes.

According to these sources, Cameron characterized the potential issuance of warrants as analogous to ‘dropping a hydrogen bomb.’ He reportedly drew a distinction between prosecuting Russia for its aggression against Ukraine and targeting Israel while it was engaged in self-defense following the October 7 attacks. Further international reporting from outlets including France’s Le Monde and The New Yorker has echoed these details, with the latter publication reporting that Khan himself relayed the ‘hydrogen bomb’ comment to UN investigators.

A contrasting perspective, presented in journalist Peter Oborne’s book ‘Complicit: Britain’s Role in the Destruction of Gaza,’ cites a source close to Cameron describing the exchange as ‘robust’ but not threatening. This source claimed Cameron merely highlighted that powerful factions within the Conservative Party would likely advocate for defunding the ICC and potentially withdrawing from the Rome Statute should the warrants be pursued.

The allegations have prompted calls for accountability from several British political figures. Former Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf and independent MP Jeremy Corbyn have both demanded a formal parliamentary investigation to establish the facts surrounding the conversation and determine whether a serving UK foreign secretary attempted to improperly influence an independent international judicial process.

In a significant diplomatic development, former U.S. President Donald Trump has declared that Thailand and Cambodia will implement an immediate ceasefire following days of intense border conflicts. The announcement came after Trump engaged in separate telephone discussions with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet.

The border dispute between the Southeast Asian neighbors escalated dramatically on July 24 when Cambodian forces launched rocket barrages into Thai territory, prompting retaliatory airstrikes from Thailand. The recent surge in violence has resulted in at least 20 casualties and displaced approximately half a million people from border communities.

Through his Truth Social platform, Trump stated that both leaders ‘have agreed to CEASE all shooting effective this evening, and go back to the original Peace Accord made with me.’ He further emphasized that ‘Both Countries are ready for PEACE and continued Trade with the United States of America.’

However, the Thai Prime Minister presented a more conditional stance during a news conference, indicating that a ceasefire would only materialize if ‘Cambodia will cease fire, withdraw its troops, remove all landmines it has planted.’ As of the announcement, neither Southeast Asian leader had publicly confirmed the agreement.

The current conflict represents the latest eruption in a century-long territorial dispute along the 800-kilometer border between the two nations, with boundaries originally established during the French colonial occupation of Cambodia. This week’s fighting expanded across at least six provinces in northeastern Thailand and five provinces in northern and northwestern Cambodia, marking the most significant escalation in recent years.

This marks the second ceasefire attempt brokered by Trump in collaboration with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, following an earlier ‘immediate and unconditional ceasefire’ agreement that ultimately failed to maintain stability in the region.

International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan has submitted a formal statement alleging that a senior British government official threatened to withdraw UK funding and support for the court if he pursued arrest warrants against Israeli leaders. Middle East Eye identifies the official as then-Foreign Secretary David Cameron, who reportedly warned Khan that targeting Israeli leadership would be “like dropping a hydrogen bomb.

The allegations emerge from Khan’s detailed submission to the ICC’s appeal chamber, responding to Israel’s November request for his disqualification from investigations into alleged war crimes in Gaza. Israel claims Khan rushed the warrants after learning of sexual misconduct allegations against him, which Khan strenuously denies and characterizes as a campaign to undermine his office’s work.

Khan’s chronology reveals his office began investigating alleged crimes by both Israel and Hamas in October 2023, shortly after the October 7 attacks. By January 2024, he had convened an independent panel of legal experts—including British human rights lawyers Amal Clooney and Helena Kennedy—which unanimously concluded in March that sufficient evidence existed to request arrest warrants.

The prosecutor details mounting diplomatic pressure from multiple nations as his office prepared warrants. This included an April 19 call from a senior US official warning of “disastrous consequences,” followed by Cameron’s alleged threat on April 23 regarding UK funding withdrawal. Khan also references subsequent pressure from US senators threatening sanctions.

Despite these interventions, Khan’s office filed warrant applications against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leaders on May 20, 2024. The prosecutor maintains the process was “meticulous,” “fair,” and “independent,” with warrant preparations completed before he learned of misconduct allegations in early May.

Cameron’s office has not responded to requests for comment, though sources close to the former prime minister acknowledge a “robust” conversation occurred while characterizing it as highlighting political realities rather than making explicit threats. The allegations have prompted calls from British politicians for official investigation into the foreign secretary’s conduct.