Niccolò A Figá-Talamanca

In 1980s Sicily, the Mafia didn't kill judges because the law was dead. They killed because the law was dangerous, to them. Today, superpowers sanction ICC judges for the exact same reason. My new piece on why international law is not dead yet. open.substack.com/pub/niccoft/p/…

"Bahrain and Kuwait are using the war as cover to crush what remains of civic space in their countries. Stripping people of citizenship, detaining journalists, and criminalizing online speech...are signs of governments terrified of their own publics." trib.al/IulWTle

Sit tibi terra levis, Olivier. Fuisti rector, mentor, numquam onerosus, semper praesens.

📣 BREAKING: Our General Director Shawan Jabarin has won his case in #France against the Ministry of Interior. The administrative judge ruled that denying him a visa was illegal and rejected claims he posed a “threat to public order.”

Appalled by the Russian authorities’ move to designate the widely respected human rights organization Memorial as "extremist". This is part of a continued crackdown on freedom of expression. I urge them to reverse this decision immediately.  ohchr.org/en/press-relea…

BRING ALL HOSTAGES HOME. If you have forgotten about the other hostages, chances are: you are racist.

AI targeting and IHL accountability: analysis by Avner Gvaryahu ⁦@AGvaryahu⁩, former executive director of Breaking the Silence ⁦@BtSIsrael⁩ theguardian.com/us-news/ng-int…

The US-Israeli strikes were launched in violation of the UN Charter and without authorisation from the Security Council. We cannot pick and choose when international law applies. Unlawful military intervention is not a solution to the nuclear issue or to the human rights situation in Iran. I call for restraint and respect for international law by all parties. So many lives were lost to violent crackdown since the protests began on 28 December 2025. Those protests reflected real and legitimate grievances. Any resolution that focuses solely on the nuclear programme — without addressing the legitimate grievances of the Iranian people and the violent repression they faced — does nothing to address why people took to the streets. It is for the Iranian people to shape their own future. I am closely monitoring the human rights impact of this escalation, particularly its effects on civilians and essential infrastructure.

“If we listen to the rhetoric of some leaders, what lurks behind is a belief that they are above the law, and above the UN Charter.” -@volker_turk at the #HRC61 opening

Migrants, refugees & asylum-seekers in #Libya are subjected to ruthless &  systematic human rights violations and abuses, including killings, torture, sexual violence & trafficking – new report by @UNHumanRights, @UNSMILibya reveals horrific testimonies. ohchr.org/en/press-relea…

They said: "One of ours, all of yours.” My new essay details why Governor Walz must deploy the Guard to assist local law enforcement in arresting federal agents, being necessary to the security of a free State. open.substack.com/pub/niccoft/p/…

The #USA must immediately withdraw sanctions against judges and prosecutors of the International Criminal Court and repeal Executive Order 14203 of February 2025. These sanctions are incompatible with the internationally guaranteed principle of judicial independence. The opening of the #ICC judicial year is tomorrow, only weeks after a fresh round of sanctions designations targeting ICC judges. (1/6)

As the International Criminal Court prosecutor focuses on the mass atrocities committed by the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary in the Darfur region of Sudan, I hope the ICC also addresses the United Arab Emirates' aiding and abetting of these crimes. x.com/IntlCrimCourt/…

Yesterday ISIS flag hoisted over Raqqa countryside after Government takeover. Today, Kobani has no power and no water, its main internet node offline. Read my analysis "The Great Unravelling , or the U.S. Strategic Capitulation in Syria." open.substack.com/pub/niccoft/p/…

I Read the 2025 NSS: Why I Had to Use the F-Word Civilisation erasure. Rebirth under singular leadership, J6 pardons, Government Golden Shares, NSPM-7 list. First they wanted you to think it can’t happen to you: now they want you to worry it might open.substack.com/pub/niccoft/p/…

I Wanted to Prove It Wasn't Fascism. Here's Why I Failed. open.substack.com/pub/niccoft/p/…

I just started a Substack! You can subscribe to it here niccoft.substack.com

Qatarpschiiiit? Trois ans après, il ne reste pas grand chose du présumé #Qatargate. Mon enquête dans Libération liberation.fr/international/…