Global Human Rights Sanctions and State Sovereignty: Does the New Tool Challenge the Old Order?

Global human rights sanctions (also known as Magnitsky sanctions) regimes target individuals and entities involved in gross human rights abuses. The sanctions measures, including visa bans, transaction restrictions, and asset freezes, are implemented through executive decision-making processes. This...

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Main Author: Yifan Jia
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Bologna 2023-12-01
Series:Athena
Subjects:
Online Access:https://athena.unibo.it/article/view/17357
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author Yifan Jia
author_facet Yifan Jia
author_sort Yifan Jia
collection DOAJ
description Global human rights sanctions (also known as Magnitsky sanctions) regimes target individuals and entities involved in gross human rights abuses. The sanctions measures, including visa bans, transaction restrictions, and asset freezes, are implemented through executive decision-making processes. This article critically analyses the legality of Magnitsky sanctions in relation to the principle of state sovereignty, exploring whether these new transnational legal regimes disrupt the existing international legal order. Given that global human rights sanctions can be employed to address both individual responsibility and state responsibility for human rights violations, this paper scrutinizes the legitimacy of the jurisdiction of these sanctions and evaluates whether they can be justified as countermeasures, respectively. This paper argues that the jurisdiction of sanctions is not in violation of international law. As unilateral measures against states for violating human rights law, Magnitsky sanctions can significantly contribute to the formation of customary international law on third-party countermeasures.
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spelling doaj.art-767df3d102b749bb83e2f924cbf3d8dc2023-12-28T16:41:31ZengUniversity of BolognaAthena2724-62992023-12-013213610.6092/issn.2724-6299/1735715716Global Human Rights Sanctions and State Sovereignty: Does the New Tool Challenge the Old Order?Yifan Jia0King's College LondonGlobal human rights sanctions (also known as Magnitsky sanctions) regimes target individuals and entities involved in gross human rights abuses. The sanctions measures, including visa bans, transaction restrictions, and asset freezes, are implemented through executive decision-making processes. This article critically analyses the legality of Magnitsky sanctions in relation to the principle of state sovereignty, exploring whether these new transnational legal regimes disrupt the existing international legal order. Given that global human rights sanctions can be employed to address both individual responsibility and state responsibility for human rights violations, this paper scrutinizes the legitimacy of the jurisdiction of these sanctions and evaluates whether they can be justified as countermeasures, respectively. This paper argues that the jurisdiction of sanctions is not in violation of international law. As unilateral measures against states for violating human rights law, Magnitsky sanctions can significantly contribute to the formation of customary international law on third-party countermeasures.https://athena.unibo.it/article/view/17357global human rights sanctionsstate sovereigntyextraterritorial jurisdictioncountermeasuresasset freezing
spellingShingle Yifan Jia
Global Human Rights Sanctions and State Sovereignty: Does the New Tool Challenge the Old Order?
Athena
global human rights sanctions
state sovereignty
extraterritorial jurisdiction
countermeasures
asset freezing
title Global Human Rights Sanctions and State Sovereignty: Does the New Tool Challenge the Old Order?
title_full Global Human Rights Sanctions and State Sovereignty: Does the New Tool Challenge the Old Order?
title_fullStr Global Human Rights Sanctions and State Sovereignty: Does the New Tool Challenge the Old Order?
title_full_unstemmed Global Human Rights Sanctions and State Sovereignty: Does the New Tool Challenge the Old Order?
title_short Global Human Rights Sanctions and State Sovereignty: Does the New Tool Challenge the Old Order?
title_sort global human rights sanctions and state sovereignty does the new tool challenge the old order
topic global human rights sanctions
state sovereignty
extraterritorial jurisdiction
countermeasures
asset freezing
url https://athena.unibo.it/article/view/17357
work_keys_str_mv AT yifanjia globalhumanrightssanctionsandstatesovereigntydoesthenewtoolchallengetheoldorder