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Resources updated between Monday, December 30, 2019 and Sunday, January 5, 2020

January 3, 2020

Screenshot of a video from the scene of the terrorist attack

One person has died and several others have been injured in a knife attack in a suburb of Paris.

A man stabbed a number of passers-by in Villejuif, about 8km (5 miles) south of the French capital, on Friday.

The attacker was chased by police after targeting people in a park. The motive for the attack was not clear.

Four people were believed to have been stabbed. Two were reported to have been seriously injured and had to be taken to a nearby hospital.

The attack took place at about 14:00 local time (13:00 GMT) and the targets appeared to have been chosen at random.

Police advised people to avoid the area near to the Hautes-Bruyères park moments after they received an emergency call.

The mayor of Villejuif, Franck Le Bohellec, said the deceased victim was a 56-year-old man who was out walking in the park with his wife, French media reported.

In a tweet, the mayor offered his "sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of the victim".

French counter-terrorism prosecutors said they were assessing the scene and authorities were trying to identify the attacker. Police said they were interviewing several witnesses.

France's Deputy Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, who later visited the scene, praised the police response, calling it an "extremely courageous act".

Paris Villejuif stabbings: Attacker shot dead after killing one and injuring others Document

One of the tweets posted by Agnes Callamard, the Special Rapporteur

Twitter thread by Agnes Callamard, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions:

"#Iraq: The targeted killings of Qasem Soleiman and Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis are most lokely unlawful and violate international human rights law: Outside the context of active hostilities, the use of drones or other means for targeted killing is almost never likely to be legal (1)"

"To be justified under international human rights law, intentionally lethal or potentially lethal force can only be used where strictly necessary to protect against an imminent threat to life. (2)"

"In other words, whoever targeted these two men would need to demonstrate that the persons targeted constitute(d) an imminent threat to others. An individual's past involvement in "terrorist" attacks is not sufficient to make his targeting for killing lawful. (3)"

"Furthermore, drone killing of anyone other than the target (family members or others in the vicinity, for example) would be an arbitrary deprivation of life under human rights law and could result in State responsibility and individual criminal liability. (4)"

The use of drones on the territory of other States has also been justified on the basis of self-defence. Under customary international law States can take military action if the threatened attack is imminent, no other means would deflect it, and the action is proportionate (5)"

"The test for so-called anticipatory self-defence is very narrow: it must be a necessity that is "instant, overwhelming, and leaving no choice of means, and no moment of deliberation". This test is unlikely to be met in these particular cases. (6)"

[Responding to a Tweet by Seth Frantzman (@sfrantzman) reading "What about when Iran uses drones?"]
"Same principles apply if they are using drones for the purpose of targeted killings outside armed conflict situations. They are most likely unlawful."

UN human rights "expert" challenges legality of Soleimani killing. Claims no "active hostilities" with #1 state sponsor of terrorism & its #1 terrorist. Document

Iranian protess (Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Opposition website says at least 631 killed in Iran unrest Document

January 2, 2020

Surveillance video of the attack

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Hamas terrorists (File photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Palestinian NGOs reject EU funds over request not to support terror Article

December 30, 2019

Muslim women (File photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

As Long as the Arab World Keeps Women Down, It Will Not Progress Article

Site of the stabbing attack (Photo courtesy social media)

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