Tag: Sanctions

ICC rejects new U.S. sanctions against 4 personnel

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has strongly rejected new sanctions announced by the United States on Wednesday targeting four of its personnel, marking a renewed escalation related to investigations involving U.S. and Israeli officials.

The sanctions are directed at judges Kimberly Prost of Canada and Nicolas Guillou of France, as well as two deputy prosecutors: Nazhat Shameem Khan of Fiji and Mame Mandiaye Niang of Senegal.

These measures follow earlier sanctions against four other judges and the ICC Prosecutor.

The United Nations emphasised the ICC’s crucial role in international criminal justice and expressed concern over the imposition of further sanctions.

“The decision imposes severe impediments on the functioning of the Office of the Prosecutor and respect for all situations currently before the Court,” UN Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric told journalists in New York.

“Judicial independence is a fundamental principle that must be respected, and these types of measures undermine the foundation of international justice.”

In a press statement announcing the new sanctions, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the ICC as “a national security threat that has been an instrument for lawfare against the United States and our close ally Israel.”

The UN-backed court condemned the sanctions as “a flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution.”

They further stated that the sanctions “constitute an affront against the Court’s States Parties, the rules-based international order, and, above all, millions of innocent victims across the world.”

The ICC investigates the gravest crimes of concern to the international community: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression.

It was established under the 1998 Rome Statute treaty, which came into force in 2002.

Neither the United States nor Israel are among the 125 States Parties to the treaty.

In November 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, along with a former Hamas commander.

The warrants are connected to the conflict in Gaza and cite allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The Court is also probing alleged war crimes committed in Afghanistan by all sides during years of conflict, including the U.S., following the allied invasion in May 2003.

The ICC reiterated that it “stands firmly behind its personnel and victims of unimaginable atrocities.”

It added that it “will continue fulfilling its mandates, undeterred, in strict accordance with its legal framework as adopted by the States Parties and without regard to any restriction, pressure, or threat.”

The Court called upon “States Parties and all those who share the values of humanity and the rule of law to provide firm and consistent support to the Court and its work, carried out in the sole interest of victims of international crimes.”

August 21, 2025
Trump lifts sanctions imposed by Biden on Israeli West Bank settlers

President Donald Trump has lifted U.S. sanctions imposed by his predecessor on extremist settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, in a reversal praised by the Israeli far right.

Joe Biden’s administration had imposed sanctions on Israeli settler groups and individuals accused of violence against Palestinians.

The Israeli government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been accused of not doing enough to stop the attacks, which escalated in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre by Hamas fighters in southern Israel.

Just hours after being sworn in for a second term, Trump’s White House said the new president had rescinded Biden’s sanctions.

The far-right Israeli Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich welcomed Trump’s decision.

“I sincerely thank President Donald Trump for his just decision to lift the sanctions imposed by the Biden administration against settlers and activists in right-wing organizations,’’ he wrote on X.

“These sanctions were a severe and blatant foreign intervention in Israel’s internal affairs and an unjustified violation of democratic principles and the mutual respect that should guide relations between friendly nations.’’

Itamar Ben-Gvir, the former national security minister, called Trump’s cancellation of the sanctions “historic.”

January 21, 2025
Rights Abuse: Sanctions await expatriate firms mistreating workers in Lagos – NHRC

… faults Lagos Govt for lack of proper monitoring

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) says it’s probing reports of the “maltreatment” of Nigerians at plastic and hair-producing factories in Lagos state and will not hesitate to punish the firms if found guilty.

A recent investigation by TheCable had indicted three factories with foreign ownership of poor remuneration for workers’ non-provision of personal protective equipment, amongst other forms of workplace mistreatment.

Dr. Lucas Koyejo, Director, National Human Rights Commission, Lagos Zone, gave the assurance during the anti-corruption radio programme, PUBLIC CONSCIENCE, produced by PRIMORG, on Wednesday in Abuja.

Koyejo, while disclosing that NHRC is aware of the alleged maltreatment of Nigerians working in the Lagos factories, said, “The Commission will definitely take punitive action after the investigation if they are found wanting,” adding that the public will also be privy to the findings.

He identified the lack of monitoring by the Lagos State government and its agencies as a major factor encouraging some of the companies in the state to maltreat their workers while urging for legislation to broadly address the issue of casualization of staff across the country.

“The problem here is the lack of proper monitoring of this company and oversight by agencies and government functionaries – We have the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in Lagos State, and we believe they are supposed to monitor these companies and ensure compliance to the law generally.”

Speaking of the Federal Government reviewing the law on the casualization of workers, Koyejo said, “As it stands, the law allows casualization or contract staffing. We need a review of the law on these kinds of contracts.”

On his part, the National Coordinator of the Human Rights Writers Association, Nigeria (HURIWA), Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, declared that the rising cases of inhumane treatment of Nigerians working in companies owned by either Nigerians or foreigners are “unacceptable and a problem that deserves the attention of the Federal Government and the National Assembly.”

Onwubiko, while calling on the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to defend workers’ rights, criticized the government for not acting well enough to deter companies from treating citizens without dignity in the workplace.

He maintained that corruption was a primary reason labour laws were not obeyed, and the government could not adequately regulate their activities.

His words:” What most citizens go through is not a story of just yesterday. It has been there for ages, and nothing has been done by the government at every level, at the state, and particularly at the federal level, to ensure that citizens who work in companies have their rights protected.

“You can’t afford to run a country without rules. You allow people to come in from all over the place, from China, from some of these inconsequential countries all over the world and set up companies, and they treat our citizens like monkeys. It is because there are no consequences.

“Corruption is a major reason why the government is adequately regulating the operation of these companies, “ Onwubiko lamented.

He added that “Lagos state government has the primary responsibility of ensuring workers in the state are treated right.

“This is also why the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity was created. The job of that Ministry is not just to negotiate for salary increase; they monitor how workers are treated because a country becomes a country and is respected If the workforce is carefully handled, “ Onwubiko stated.

Earlier, a journalist with TheCables, Kunle Daramola, said the factories indicted in the report are owned by Korean, Chinese and Saudi Arabian nationals, respectively.

Daramola noted that the working conditions of Nigerians in the factories investigated are appalling and range from issues of abysmal remuneration, workers operating machines without training or requisite experience, and non-provision of personal protective equipment, among others.

Public Conscience is a syndicated weekly anti-corruption radio program PRIMORG uses to draw government and citizens’ attention to corruption and integrity issues in Nigeria.

The program has the support of the MacArthur Foundation.

February 1, 2024
ECOWAS imposes extra sanctions on Niger military junta

A new set of sanctions have been imposed on groups, organisations, and individuals identified as giving support to the military junta in the Republic of Niger.

Mr. Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, revealed this on Tuesday in Abuja while briefing State House Correspondents.

He said that President Bola Tinubu has already directed the acting Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to implement this directive in accordance with the ECOWAS protocol.

‘’I can report that following the expiration of the deadline of the ultimatum and standing on the pre-existing consensus position of financial sanctions meted out on the military junta in Niger Republic by the bloc of ECOWAS Heads of State.

‘’His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered an additional slew of financial sanctions through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on entities and individuals related to or involved with the military junta in Niger Republic,’’ he said.

On the deadline given to the junta on Sunday, Ngelale decried the media reports linking the decision of the ECOWAS to the person of the president of Nigeria.

‘’Concerning the ultimatum given to the military Junta in Niger Public, the ECOWAS mandate and ultimatum is not a Nigerian ultimatum.

“The office of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, also serving as the Chairman of ECOWAS, seeks to emphasise this point.

‘’Certain domestic and international media coverage tend towards a personalisation of the ECOWAS sub-regional position to his person and to our nation individually.

“It is because of this that Mr president has deemed it necessary to state unequivocally that the mandate and ultimatum issued ECOWAS is that of ECOWAS’s position,’’ he said.

Ngelale said that the president, following the expiration of the ultimatum given by ECOWAS, has widened consultations internationally, but most especially domestically.

He said that the consultations include interfaces with state governors in Nigeria bordering Niger Republic on the various fallouts and outcomes of the unfortunate situation in that country.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, wishes to emphasise to this distinguished audience that the response of ECOWAS to the military coup in Niger has been and will remain devoid of ethnic and religious sentiments and considerations.

“The regional bloc is made up of all sub-regional ethnic groups, religious groups, and all other forms of human diversity. And the response of ECOWAS, therefore, represents all of these groups, and not any of these groups individually.’’

Ngelale said that all options are still being considered as the extraordinary summit of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government holds on Thursday in Abuja.

August 8, 2023
WAEC sanctions: Kogi govt. vows to prosecute perpetrators

The Kogi Government on Friday, vowed to prosecute perpetrators of examination malpractice that led to sanctions on the state by the West African Examination Council (WAEC).

The state’s Commissioner For Education, Science and Technology, Mr Wemi Jones, gave the assurance at the 2023 WAEC briefing of Principals, Supervisors and Examination officers in Ayigba.

According to the commissioner, every individual involved in examination misconduct that led to WAEC’s sanctions in time past will be made to face the law after thorough investigation.

Jones commended examination stakeholders for their tremendous improvement in the conduct of external examinations, especially the drastic decline in number of cases of schools’ Derecognitions and Warnings.

He, however, expressed displeasure over the inability of some schools to consolidate on the state’s educational gains and positive changes.

The commissioner, therefore, warned such schools against sabotaging the efforts of the present administration.

According to Jones, the WAEC result analysis from 2022 indicated that 61 schools were derecognised and 14 schools warned in the past, describing it as unacceptable.

He stressed that all perpetrators would be prosecuted to serve as deterrent to others, insisting that the state government had zero tolerance for examination malpractices.

Jones commended the Principals and Schools that had toed the path of examination ethics and equally urged them not to relent in maintaining acceptable examination standards.

He urged Supervisors to discharge their noble task with utmost responsibility, promising rewards for schools and principals with clean examination record from the ministry.

Jones assured that the government was addressing the issue of shortage of teachers as evident in the ongoing recruitment and posting of teachers to schools.

The commissioner promised that further effort would be made to cover more grounds.

April 28, 2023
Ukraine war: EU imposes fresh round of sanctions on Russia

The European Union leaders, at a European Council summit in Brussels on Thursday, December 15, EU imposed fresh sanctions (its 9th round of sanctions) on Moscow despite disagreements over easing the export of Russian agricultural products and fertilizers through European ports.

A 15% minimum tax on large, multinational businesses agreement, was reached by EU leaders.

The agreement will be confirmed in writing today.

Full details were not revealed but the sanctions are expected to include travel bans and asset freezes on close to 200 more Russian officials and military officers, as proposed by the European Commission last week.

The bloc is also likely to ban the delivery of drone engines to both Russia and Iran, which has been accused of providing “kamikaze” drones for deployment against Ukrainian civilian targets.

Countries such as the Netherlands and Belgium pleaded to be exempt from previous sanctions on importing Russian fertilizer after threatening to hold up the new sanctions.

Poland and some Baltic states were concerned relaxing them would allow Russian oligarchs who own fertilizer businesses to dodge EU sanctions against them.

“Ambassadors agreed in principle on a sanctions package against Russia as part of the EU’s ongoing support for Ukraine,” the EU’s Czech presidency tweeted.

The bloc also gave its approval to join the international plan, with almost 140 countries signed up, to set a minimum tax rate of 15% on multinational businesses.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that the EU would have to move more quickly to head off the threat to its industry from planned US subsidies.

Arriving at the EU summit in Brussels, Macron said the leaders would discuss their response to US President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.

“To maintain fair competition,” Macron said, Europe must simplify its own subsidy rules faster “to respond, to be the equivalent of what the Americans have done.”

December 16, 2022
UEFA to sanction Barcelona, PSG , others for Breach of Financial Fair Play

Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, and seven other club sides in Europe will be sanctioned by UEFA for non-compliance with Financial Fair Play in the 2020/2021 campaign.

The season in which the irregularities regarding economic control were committed coincides with the arrival and explosion of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the analysis done by UEFA about 20 teams including Arsenal and Marseille were included in the list

But as things stand, the final accounts for many of these 20 teams are yet to be filed with UEFA, and once done, their situation might as well change.

The case with the likes of PSG, Barcelona, and Juventus, however, is extremely different.

PSG and Barcelona are the two teams said to be in more danger as they are in full legal proceedings against UEFA along with Real Madrid due to the entire Super League issue.

At the moment, both Barcelona and Juventus are said to be refusing to negotiate with UEFA.

However, UEFA has stated that the ongoing 2022-23 season is going to be the last campaign that will run within the existing FFP rules. From 2023, the governing body will introduce a new set of rules to set a cap on spending a percentage of their income on player salaries, transfers, and agent fees.

August 23, 2022
Sanctions await judges who fail to submit quarterly returns – NJC panel

The Sub-Committee of Zone ‘C’ of the Corruption and Financial Crimes Cases Trial Monitoring Committee (COTRIMCO) says sanctions awaits judges in Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states who fail to submit quarterly returns.

COTRIMCO was set up by the former Chief Justice of Nigeria to monitor cases in court and interact with the designated judges handling corruption and financial crimes cases following continuous complaints from the public that the judiciary is responsible for delays in the trial of corruption and financial crimes cases.

This is contained in a statement signed by the Zone ‘C’, made up of Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo sub-committee on Wednesday in Ibadan.

The sub-committee informed judges that there was a need for them to quarterly submit their returns with strict adherence to the template submitted to them as the submitted returns would be assessed quarterly by the committee at the plenary.

The sub-committee has Justice Munta Abimbola (chairman), Onah Owoka(Esq), secretary, Dr Garba Tetengi, SAN, Mr A. Mahmoud, Soyi Oye(Esq) and the NJC.

The committee toured the states in the zone in view of accusations by the public that the Judiciary was responsible for the delays in the trial of corruption and financial crimes cases.

The committee interreacted with designated judges handling corruption and financial crimes cases on the reason for the delays.

On their findings, the panel said members received complaints of insufficient Prosecution Counsel from the EFCC as 10 prosecutors covered the Five States in the zone.

The panel also said it found out that handwriting experts were scarce.

“The judges also complained that witnesses, exhibits, number of SANs that are usually briefed to represent the accused in corruption and financial crimes cases do not help matters,” it stated.

The panel also said in a nutshell, members observed that delays in such cases were caused by all parties involved in cases.

The panel called for synergy among parties.

The panel assured the judges that the issues they raised would be brought before the plenary for consideration.

August 3, 2022
U.S. levels new sanctions on North Korea

The U.S. targeted two Russian banks Friday as part of new sanctions over alleged support for North Korea and its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

North Korea President, Kim Jong-un

The sanctions come after what the U.S. says were three new ballistic missile launches by North Korea on Tuesday, including one intercontinental ballistic missile.

The launches happened after President Joe Biden ended an Asian trip in which he stressed Washington’s commitment to defending allies from the North’s nuclear threat.

North Korea launched three ballistic missiles toward its east coast

The U.S. says this week’s launches brought North Korea’s total for this year to 23, as the isolated country pushes to develop and expand the range of its nuclear and missile programs.

Friday’s sanctions targets include two Russian banks, Far Eastern and Sputnik, that the U.S. says do business with U.S.-sanctioned North Korean entities. Bank Sputnik also helped North Korea arrange payments for the use of Russian satellite services, the Treasury Department said in announcing the sanctions.

The new sanctions also target a Belarus-based North Korea man who the United States says was helping generate funding for the missile launches, and a trading company.

On Thursday, China and Russia vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution sponsored by the United States that would have imposed tough new sanctions on North Korea for its spate of intercontinental ballistic missile launches that can be used to deliver nuclear weapons.

Thursday’s vote represented the first serious division among the five veto-wielding permanent members of the U.N.’s most powerful body on a North Korea sanctions resolution.

TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that North Korea fired three ballistic missiles towards the Sea of Japan early Wednesday.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that it had “detected at around 0600 (2100 GMT), 0637 and 0642 the firings of ballistic missiles launched from Sunan area.”

Japan’s coastguard warned of a “possible ballistic missile” launch from North Korea, telling vessels to stay away from fallen objects in the waters.

May 28, 2022
FIBA threatens to sanction Nigeria over basketball ban

World basketball governing body FIBA has warned that Nigeria faces sanctions following the Federal Government’s withdrawal of Basketball teams from all international competition for 2 years.

FIBA stated this in a letter addressed to factional Nigeria Basketball Federation president Musa Ahmadu-Kida signed by Jaime Lamboy, Head of Legal, FIBA and dated May 18, 2022.

Recall that sports minister, Sunday Dare, through the Permanent Secretary of the sports ministry, Ismaila Abubakar, said that President Muhammadu Buhari, had given approval, to withdraw Nigeria from all international basketball competitions for two years, following unending leadership crisis rocking the NBBF.

The minister added that the withdrawal would help the country revamp the sport from the grassroots, as well as put an end to the basketball crises.

In a latest development ,FIBA, has issued a warning to Nigeria saying it risk being sanctioned.

It added that the withdrawal was in breach of Article 9.7 of FIBA’s General Statutes, which states, “National member federations shall manage their affairs independently and with no influence from third parties.”

Article 10.2 of the FIBA Statutes added that on the initiative of the Secretary-General, FIBA Central Board may suspend a national member federation for the breach of Article 9.7.

If the sanction is approved, it means Nigeria will miss out on the 2024 Olympic Games, as well as the 2025 World Championships for the male and female teams.

Similarly, Nigeria will also be unable to compete at the next two Afrobasket Championships (male and female).

Reacting to a letter earlier written to them by the Ahmadu-Kida-led NBBF board, FIBA stated, “In such letter, you pre-emptively informed FIBA of the apparent decision by the Nigerian Government (Federal Ministry of Youth & Sports Development) intending to have Nigeria take a break from all international engagements for two years and enabling an Interim Management Committee to run the affairs of the basketball in Nigeria.

“As you already are aware, Nigeria is due to participate in the following FIBA competitions in the upcoming months: FIBA 2023 Basketball World Cup Qualifiers (FBWC23 Qualifiers) FIBA 2022 Women’s Basketball World Cup (FWBWC22)

“As you are aware, any withdrawal of Nigeria from the abovementioned competitions will trigger potential disciplinary sanctions as per the FIBA Internal Regulations. Furthermore, if the absence of Nigeria from international competitions for the next two years materialises, the consequences may spread out well past such a two-year period.

“For example, please note that the withdrawal from the FBWC23 Qualifiers is also a withdrawal from the Paris 2024 Olympic qualification process. Similarly, depending on third-party results, the same situation could apply with respect to FIBA AfroBasket 2025.”

The statement added, “Accordingly, we request from the NBBF to immediately inform FIBA whether its participation in the abovementioned competitions is or not ratified.

“We take the opportunity to remind the NBBF of its obligations to manage its affairs with no influence from third parties, as per Article 9.6 of FIBA General Statutes.”

“I send you and your Federation’s staff my Best Wishes for health and safety.”

TheNewsGuru.com reports that D’Tigress appealed to Federal Government to rethink its decision to ban Nigeria from all International competitions for two years.

Read Also:

D’Tigress appeals to Federal Government to reverse Basketball ban

D’Tigress faulted the government’s decision stating that the ban would take away their future competitions, accomplishments, and goals.

May 23, 2022