Tag: Putin

Yulia Navalnaya, Seen in a New Light

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Feb. 27, Rhonda Garelick, distinguished professor of English and journalism at SMU Dallas, for a commentary about how Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Aleksei A. Navalny, is going to carry on the Russian opposition that was her husband’s life’s work. Published in Garelick’s New York Times ‘Face Forward’ column under the heading Yulia Navalnaya, Seen in a New Light: https://tinyurl.com/y8tscyvr 

Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Aleksei A. Navalny, the Russian opposition leader who died this month in an Arctic prison, has vowed to continue her husband’s work.

Ms. Navalnaya, 47, has been less public than Mr. Navalny, seen at his side and in his documentary, but mostly steering clear of the spotlight. She was, though, an important half of a global power couple: A telegenic duo who expressed unfaltering passion for each other and for their vision of a free and democratic future for Russia. “Everyone wanted a love like theirs,” wrote Julia Ioffe in a 2021 Vanity Fair profile.

Mr. Navalny galvanized millions with his combination of intellect, good looks and a breezy, ironic wit that, even in the grimmest of circumstances, offered a primer in resisting fear and intimidation. Although terrible things happened to him, Mr. Navalny somehow managed to survive, which lent him an aura of indestructibility.

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SMU professor filed a brief with Russia’s constitutional court

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Sept. 3, Jeffrey Kahn, a law professor at the Dedman School of Law, SMU Dallas, for a piece expressing solidarity with Russians punished for their dissenting views against their government. Published in the Dallas Morning News under the heading SMU professor filed a brief with Russia’s constitutional court: http://tinyurl.com/2p88umzd

Silence is a lie’s best friend. So when Russia’s leaders claimed that punishing dissenting voices is just what governments do, including the United States, I asked our country’s top constitutional law scholars to speak up.

The twist is that we did it in Russia’s highest court, the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation, in what may be the first brief amicus curiae, or “friend of the court” brief, submitted there by U.S. law professors.

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Putin’s vile bid to erase the Jewish sacrifice in Ukraine

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March 6, Rick Halperin, director of the SMD Dallas Human Rights Program, for a piece criticizing Russia for attempts to erase The Ukriane’s Jewish heritage and sacrifice during war. Published in the Austin American-Statesman under the heading Putin’s vile bid to erase the Jewish sacrifice in Ukraine: https://bit.ly/370FY4x 

Much of the world remains captivated and appalled at the Russian invasion of Ukraine; the unprovoked attack promises to bring much more suffering, tragedy and death to its people, and possibly its president, Volodymyr Zelensky.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that he wants to “de-Nazify” Ukraine, a vile and outrageous statement especially given that President Zelensky is Jewish. During World War II, Ukraine was a major area of fighting, death and genocide. Two-and-a-half million soldiers were killed in Ukraine between 1941-1944, and 4.5 million civilians were killed there in the same timeframe. The 7 million deaths constituted almost 11 % of the country’s pre-war population, a figure exceeded only by Poland’s loss of 19.6 % of its population during WWII.

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Putin can be prosecuted for crimes of aggression — but likely not any time soon

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March 4, Anthony Colangelo, Professor of Law at the SMU Dallas Dedman School of Law, for a commentary outlining the international laws that make it possible to prosecute Vladimir Putin for various war crimes.  Published in The Hill under the heading Putin can be prosecuted for crimes of aggression — but likely not any time soon: https://bit.ly/3KccW0a 

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a clear violation of international law that opens the door to prosecuting Russian President Vladimir Putin down the road. The United Nations Charter prohibits aggressive use of force, and Russia has no valid claim that it is using force in self-defense. To assert self-defense, a state must be the victim of an actual or imminent armed attack. No facts support a claim that Russia is the victim of such an attack.

The ban on aggressive use of force is such a fundamental element of international law that when a state breaches it, its leaders can be held criminally responsible. After World War II, dozens of political and military leaders of Germany and Japan were convicted of the crime of aggression by international tribunals set up in Nuremberg and Tokyo.

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Could Russia legally use nuclear weapons in response to a U.S. intervention in Ukraine?

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Jan. 26,  Anthony Colangelo, Professor of Law at the SMU Dallas Dedman School of Law, for a piece outlining the consequences of using nuclear weapons should Russia decide to do so during aggression against Ukraine. Published in Foreign Policy News under the heading Could Russia legally use nuclear weapons in response to a U.S. intervention in Ukraine?: https://bit.ly/32KnQKu

There is an ominous new development in the potential Russian invasion of the Ukraine and the U.S. response. According to the New York Times, “nuclear weapons could be shifted to places — perhaps not far from the United States coastline — that would reduce warning times after a launch to as little as five minutes, potentially igniting a confrontation with echoes of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.”

This is in keeping with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s desire to expand Russia’s sphere of influence to Eastern Europe and commitments that NATO will not enlarge. Some of Putin’s aides suggested last week that should he fail to achieve these objectives, he would pursue Russia’s security interests with results that would be felt in Europe and the United States, including the placement of nuclear weapons near the United States coast close enough to reach the capital.

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Yes, the US can legally intervene if Russia invades Ukraine

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Dec. 20, Anthony Colangelo, Professor of Law at the SMU Dallas Dedman School of Law, for a piece explaining why the U.S. has a legal right to intervene in Ukraine should Russia decide to invade. Published in History News Network under the heading ‘The U.S. Can Legally Intervene in the Ukraine Should Russia Invade’: https://bit.ly/3msrL5n , and subsequently in The Hill Jan. 27, 2022: https://bit.ly/3AOSEGt

Recent signs suggest that Russian President Vladimir Putin is seriously considering invading Ukraine. To help prevent this from happening, the United States has two options: the soft option and the hard option.

The soft option involves diplomatic measures such as increased sanctions and trade punishments like cutting off financial markets. Generally, countries prefer utilizing this option to foster de-escalation for the simple reason that it is cheaper and minimizes civilian death and suffering. But there is a chronological component here: There must be enough time for the measures to work, and if there is not, countries may be forced to pursue the hard option.

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