Dr Melanie O'Brien

& they want to occupy the territory so they can clean up all the evidence...

#UWA is looking for a #socialSciences #lecturer in IR. We run a dual MIL/MIR degree, so a good overlap btwn IR & IL here. #academia #jobs #jobFairy #Perth #AUS external.jobs.uwa.edu.au/cw/en/job/52...

MSF Gaza report: This is not aid. This is orchestrated killing GHF-run food distributions in Gaza are sites of “orchestrated killing and dehumanisation” that must be shut down

New MSF report on #Gaza. Based on medical data, patients’ testimonies, and first-hand medical witnessing at two MSF clinics in Gaza, the report finds violence by Israeli forces & private American contractors against starved Palestinians at GHF points. #genocide #intlaw msf.org.uk/article/msf-...

Extraordinary reporting: detail of abduction & rape of girls & women, massacres of civilians, destruction of villages, by the RSF against ethnic Zaghawa tribe in a refugee camp. #Genocde in #Sudan. #intlaw

Former ICC judges criticize handling of sexual misconduct investigation into chief prosecutor Former International Criminal Court (ICC) judges on Saturday criticized the handling of ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan’s sexual misconduct case, questioning UN oversight office actions like the publi...

Fmr #ICC judges have criticised the handling of the sexual misconduction investigation, noting a lack of due process afforded to Khan through public release of info. www.jurist.org/news/2025/08...

UN agencies report worsening humanitarian crisis in Sudan The UN expressed concern on Monday over Sudan's worsening humanitarian crisis, amid rising starvation, displacement, and violence against civilians resulting from ongoing civil war. The UN Office for....

In #Sudan, there is rising starvation, displacement, disease and violence against civilians resulting from ongoing civil war. Healthcare has collapsed, 12 million people are displaced, with 24.6million in acute hunger. Shortages of food, water, shelter, medicines. www.jurist.org/news/2025/08...

From Discrimination to Death: Genocide Process Through a Human Rights Lens From Discrimination to Death studies the process of genocide through the human rights violations that occur during genocide. Using individual testimonies and in-depth field research from the Armenian ...

I also encourage people to read chapter 9 in my #book on the deprivation of food, clothing & shelter in the #genocide process. www.routledge.com/From-Discrim...

Time Has Run Out: Mass Starvation in Gaza and the Global Imperative It is time for comprehensive, full-spectrum, sustainable, and coordinated humanitarian action. States globally must act without delay on that imperative.

A must-read on starvation in #Gaza, authored by the two experts on #starvation, @tomdannenbaum.bsky.social & Alex de Waal. #intLaw www.justsecurity.org/117962/mass-...

It also says that because of the conflict-related SGBV, that SGBV has become normalised & there has been an increased in such violence within communities, incl families. A culture of violence against #women has been created.

Silence over sexual violence in Ethiopia enables yet more abuse, says report The failure to hold perpetrators to account has fueled revenge attacks.

Report on sexual violence in #Tigray #Ethiopia in 2020-22 conflict finds rape, forced pregnancies, intention to prevent births, by Eritrean miltiary. Lack of accountability for these crimes only led to more atrocity crimes committed. #SGBV continues today. www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2025/07...

Russia takes Australia to High Court over cancelled lease Australia passed a law in 2023 cancelling Russia's lease for a planned embassy near Parliament House, but Russia is now disputing that in the High Court.

#AUS #HighCourt will hear case brought by #Russia who wants to build their embassy right next to Parliament House, but govt has said no on national security grounds. I think the govt might have a good case! Don Rothwell quoted in the article. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08...

Francesca Albanese Is Immune From US Sanctions, UN Says Francesca Albanese Is Immune From US Sanctions, UN Says - PassBlue

UN has criticised US sanctions on Francesca Albanese; UN Legal Counsel, on behalf of the UNSG, wrote to the US Mission to the UN, asserting Albanese’s official UN mandate and maintaining her UN privileges & #immunities, incl from US sanctions. #intlaw passblue.com/2025/07/30/f...

How to Teach About the Bosnian War and Genocide | Goodwin University Engage students in meaningful conversations about genocide with our flexible, open-access curriculum centered on the Bosnian War and Genocide. Learn more.

@genocidescholars.bsky.social AB member Sarah Snyder has developed an open access Curriculum for Teaching Bosnian History & Genocide, to help students develop empathy, critical thinking, historical understanding; have meaningful conversations on history & human rights www.goodwin.edu/enews/teachi...

Same as the #genocide in #Myanmar. Greed, money, power, corporations…

Ugh, so depressing.

Astounding. And yet not, especially in Utah. They have been hardcore MAGA well before Trump got reelected.

✊✊✊ #fundHigherEdFairly

#PhD #scholarship on violence against #women and displacement in the #Pacific contributing to the Centre of Excellence on the Elimination of Violence Against Women at #ANU #Canberra #AUS. #endVAW #gender study.anu.edu.au/scholarships...

Tim Winton among 100 high-profile Australians calling for university fees that don’t ‘punish’ arts students Open letter urges Labor to reverse JRG scheme, introduced by Coalition in 2021, as cost of humanities degrees reaches more than $50,000

I am so pleased that getting rid of JGR is getting traction from a variety of groups, putting pressure on the govt to reverse that terrible #ausLaw. Thank you to these high-profile Aussies for doing this! #higherEd #fundHigherEdFairly www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

What are the legal conditions for Palestinian statehood? And electronic wills after Covid - ABC listen As more countries move towards formal recognition of a Palestinian state, the Law Report examines the conditions for statehood under international law. And what are the risks, benefits and opportuniti...

Thanks to Damien Carrick for having me on The Law Report to discuss #statehood of #Palestine, recognition of states & govts, & UN membership. #intLaw www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

#jobs #jobFairy #IR #LSE #academia #UK

#PhD #study Three year funded PhD studentship at QUB on #AI in war and a focus on civilian harm with 6 months working with Ceasefire Centre for Civilian Rights. www.qub.ac.uk/schools/Scho...

School of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University is looking to employ a Research Fellow in Global Security, focused on maritime security. This is a full-time, fixed-term 3-year research and project management position. #jobs #jobFairy #academia careers.pageuppeople.com/mob/533/caw/...

Repeal Job-Ready Graduates Policy Now: Restoring Equity in Higher Education - Online petition We sign this petition in solidarity with those who signed the Open Letter to the Prime Minister on 28 July 2025 (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jul/28/open-letter-to-australian-govern...

I encourage all #AUS academics to sign this open letter requesting the federal govt repeal Jobs-Ready Graduates, a terrible piece of legislation that never should have passed, & has significantly negatively impacted #higherEd. www.openpetition.org/au/petition/...

Is Genocide Happening in Gaza? [Melanie O’Brien is Associate Professor of International Law at the University of Western Australia, President of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, and Visiting Scholar with the H…

In this post on @opiniojuris.bsky.social, I walk through the components of the legal definition of #genocide and apply the actions on the ground in #Gaza to these components, to answer the question 'Is genocide happening in Gaza?'. opiniojuris.org/2025/08/04/i...

Note that the last update for this chapter I did was Aug 2023, so please don't @ me if there have been updates since then!

It looks at #AUS response to #genocides in #Sudan (Darfur 2000s), #Myanmar (Rohingya 2010s/2020s), #China (Uyghur 2020s), and by #ISIS (Yezidi 2010s). It has been in the pipeline for a few yrs so I am glad to be able to post on SSRN so it's accessible in some form.

I am pleased to share an SSRN version of a chapter I have coming out in the Palgrave Handbook on #AUS & the #Holocaust. My chapter is on Australia's response to contemporary #genocides. It includes the first academic overview of AUS #sanctions regime #law. papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

UN expert criticizes US rollback of Myanmar sanctions as ‘unconscionable’ A UN expert criticized the US government on Wednesday for its rollback of sanctions against entities supplying weapons and other support to the Myanmar military junta, finding the move 'unconscionable...

UN SR on #Myanmar has criticised the Trump regime for withdrawing (successful) sanctions against entities & individuals facilitating the #Tatmadaw's arms trade. Such a blow to accountability for atrocity crimes. #intLaw www.jurist.org/news/2025/08...