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Effectiveness of the Complaints Procedure in International LawINTRODUCTIONAn examination of the overall objective of International Human Rights Law and International Humanitarian Law will reveal that the underlying goal of both laws is to protect the lives and dignity of the human personality. This fact is readily discernable from the provisions of both laws regarding the prohibition of torture, cruel or inhuman treatment or punishment, prohibition of slavery or servitude and the prohibition of retroactive criminal laws.International Humanitarian Law, however as it stands today, and unlike International Human rights has no judicial or quasi judicial mechanism to consider complaints from individuals who are victims of international humanitarian violations. This phenomenon, is in my view, paradoxical since the basic principles of justice is to ensure that there is unhindered accessibility to everyone, which is what the concept of individual complaints procedure seeks to achieve.International Humanitarian Law as set out in the Four Geneva Conventions and Two Additional Protocols does not expressly envisage causes of action for victims of violations of international humanitarian law in any national or international law, as one would find for example in Article 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which stipulates that individuals whose rights as set forth in that Convention are violated shall have an effective remedy before a national authority.Although the imposition of individual criminal responsibility, with its establishment of universal jurisdiction and the International Criminal Court can be described as positive steps in the concept of ensuring that justice is done, it is my candid opinion that the very end of justice – individual accessibility has not been served.The International Criminal Court, the International Red Cross – the guardian of International Humanitarian Law, and the International Fact Finding Committee in Protocol One have all been criticised as lacking in means, mandate, scope and purpose to adequately cater for the interests of individuals whose rights have been violated under international humanitarian law.As a result of these gaps, there have been calls and debate for an individual complaints procedure as in international human rights – specifically, the core human rights treaties - International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Torture and Cruel inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women.It is believed that the individual complaints procedure as practised under these conventions are accessible and very uncomplicated and will better serve the ends of justice.This paper seeks to examine the desirability of establishing an individual complaints procedure in International Humanitarian Law. It looks at how this procedure is practised in the four core humanitarian law treaties, x - raying the so called gaps and inadequacies that are inherent in the statutes of International Criminal Court, the mandate of International Red Cross and in the provision of the International Fact Finding Commission as provided for in Protocol One.It ends by pointing out the characteristics that make the individual complaints procedure in international human rights, a novelty, for which International Humanitarian Law could draw from. THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURTAs stated by the United Nations Secretary General, one of the objectives of establishing the international criminal court is to prosecute and punish persons responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.There is no doubt that this goal is laudable because it establishes the principle of individual criminal accountability for all who commit such acts. This principle is now the cornerstone of international criminal law. There are however gaps when viewed within the context of individuals, who are victims of violations of international humanitarian law and their access to justice.Firstly, an examination of Article 5 of the court's statute shows that the jurisdiction of the Court shall be limited to the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole, and thus only crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression are relevant.A look at Article 7 also shows that, "crime against humanity" means any act(s) when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack.Article 8 (1) also provides that the court shall have jurisdiction in respect of war crimes "in particular when committed as a part of a plan or policy or as part of a large scale commission of such crimes". What is characteristic behind all these provisions is that they only concern very serious crimes and they must have been committed as part of a widespread or systematic policy before it becomes a crime. This leaves out a lot of violations which are committed individually and not part of a widespread or systematic policy and is not serious, but with is against the principle of justice, and undoubtedly a violation of International Humanitarian Law.One could also discern more of this gap in Prosecutor vs. Tadic case. It was stated therein that the crime against humanity refers:"to inhuman acts of a serious nature …committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population". In the report of the establishment of a Permanent International Criminal Court, cited in Tadic, it was stated that ' crimes against humanity " usually involves a widespread or systematic attack against the civilian population rather than isolated offences… and particular forms of unlawful acts ( murder, enslavement, torture, rape and imprisonment etc) are less crucial to the definition.It goes on that "… the thrust behind what is large scale and or widespread is to exclude random acts that was not committed as part of a broader plan or policy ". While, a single act might constitute a crime against humanity, it is not "a single act" in a literal sense, but there must be a link with the widespread or systematic attack on a civilian population". From the foregoing, one can see that individual violations of international humanitarian law are not provided for in the International Criminal Court statute, and individuals are therefore denied their right of justice.THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSSThe International Red Cross is the guardian of International Humanitarian Law and by virtue of the mandate given to it by the four Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols is responsible for the international implementation of International Humanitarian Law. It is to assist victims of war and encourage States to implement their International Humanitarian Law obligations.The International Red Cross right of initiative particularly allows it to offer its services or to undertake any action which it deems necessary to ensure the faithful implementation and application of International Humanitarian Law.It is therefore a kind of supervisory body because it has for instance access to Prisoners of War in international armed conflicts. It may also visit places of detention in non – international armed conflict and other situations of violence.As one could see from this mandate, the International Red Cross is not so structured to deal with the individual complaints emanating from violations of international humanitarian law.It does not have the means, the purpose and the mandate to make enforceable judicial determination of such individual claims. The only method that bears some similarity to any form of complaints at all is the confidential discussions it holds with governments. Its structure could at best be described as broad, general, exclusively humanitarian and inadequate to deal with individual violations of international humanitarian law.INTERNATIONAL FACT FINDING COMMISSIONThe International Fact Finding Commission as provided for in Article 90 (1) of Protocol One is relevant in this discussion because some had argued whether by the mandate given to it and the composition of the Commission, it is capable of exercising, particularly if improved, the functions and role of an individual complaints commission or could complement the role of an individual complaints commission, if established. It is important to state that the Commission has not been used.Paragraph 2 ( c) of Article 90 states their competency to inquire into any facts alleged to be a grave breach of International Humanitarian Law as defined by the Convention and Protocol.Paragraph 2 (c) 11 also states that it shall through the use its good offices restore an attitude of respect for the Conventions and Protocols and serious violations thereof.Paragraph 2 (d) is to the effect that the Commission shall institute an inquiry at the request of a party to the conflictonlywith the consent of the other party concerned.As could be seen from the above, the international fact finding commission cannot perform any of the role and functions of an individual complaints procedure because it also falls into the same trap or gap as the International Criminal Court. Only serious or grave violations seem to be the concern of the International Commission and private or individual violations are left out.It is also important to point out that an inquiry can only be made to the Commission only at the request of a party to the conflict. This is leaves out individuals or persons who are not parties to the conflict, but whose humanitarian rights are violated.INDIVIDUAL COMPLAINTS, HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICE AND INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAWThe success of the individual complaints procedure as practised in the context of the core international human rights treaties has raised the question of whether supervision of compliance with international humanitarian law can be improved upon in the same manner. The effect of armed conflict on civilian suffering and the similarities between International Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law have also encouraged some human rights bodies to apply international humanitarian law, but the problem with this approach is that international human right treaties are not adequately equipped to deal with international humanitarian issues.A good example is the Inter American Commission on Human Rights, which found out that although the American Convention on Human Rights is applicable in times of armed conflict, it is not designed to regulate situations of war. Other problems that occur with the interpretation of international humanitarian law by human rights bodies are those of mandate regarding these bodies and the unilateral reference only to acts of states in such applications. The first of these problems find some support in the decision of the Las Palmeras case, where the court held that it was not competent to apply the Geneva Conventions, whenever necessary to interpret a rule of the American Convention.The second problem is to the fact that they do not cover violations of international humanitarian law by other parties to the conflict such as armed opposition groups, nor does it deal with individuals whose humanitarian rights are violated.By the very nature of international humanitarian law, guarantees are made to the individuals, which states may derogate from under international human rights conventions. International Humanitarian Law also bestows on the individual rights which go beyond the non – derogable human rights.Applying international humanitarian law under international human rights treaties will not therefore adequately serve the objective behind the Conventions and Protocols. It would rather undermine it, as it may lose its essence, hence the call for an individual complaints procedure that takes this peculiar situation into account at all times and which will take into consideration the gaps in the measures aimed at improving compliance with International Humanitarian Law. The Novelty in the Individual Complaints Procedure of the International Human Right Treaties An evident sign in human rights law and its progress is the fact that individuals who claim their rights and freedoms had been violated may ask that the State account for its actions. This is however possible only under 4 or the 6 so called "core " human right treaties. They are the International Civil and Political Rights, Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel and inhuman Treatment or Punishment, International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination and the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women.The novelty in these treaties is the fact that they establish a quasi – judicial committee to examine complaints from individuals. The complaints mechanisms are designed to be uncomplicated and accessible to the individual. One does not for instance need to be a lawyer in order to lodge a complaint.A further novelty to the complaint mechanism under each individual treaty is that they are complemented by the complaints procedures before the Commission of Human Rights and Commission on the Status of Women, although these two procedures have a different focus from those under the international treaties. This is because complaints to the Commission focus on a more systematic pattern and trend of human rights violations and may be brought against any country in the world. Like the complaints procedures under the international treaties, the complaints procedure also seeks to avoid legal and technical terms and procedures and are accessible to everyone.Under the complaints mechanism in the four international human rights treaties, there is a body of independent experts, elected by State parties of each of the relevant treaty with a quasi – judicial adjudication status.Their task is to monitor implementation in States that are parties of the rights set forth in the treaties and decide on the complaints brought against them. Although, there are procedural variations between the 4 mechanisms in the 4 international human rights treaties, their design and operations are very much similar.The characteristic of their accessibility is particularly noteworthy for international humanitarian law in the sense that anyone can bring a complaint. It is also possible for claims to be brought on behalf of another person if there is a written consent, except in the case of children.It is against only a State however that complaints might be brought. This will not serve the peculiarities of international humanitarian law as most participants in today's armed conflicts involve non – state actors, such as armed opposition groupsConclusionOverview of Individual Complaints Procedure for International Humanitarian LawAs I had discussed, what exist today in International Humanitarian Law is not enough to meet the demands of justice and protection which the Geneva Conventions and its Additional Protocol seeks to confer on individuals.The bodies such as International Criminal Court, the International Red Cross and the International Fact Finding though are positive developments, they are not adequate and cannot serve the interests of individuals as conferred by the Conventions and Additional Protocols.The practice of human rights bodies, although also positive, stands the danger of undermining international humanitarian law. This makes it apparent therefore for an individual complaints procedure fashioned after the ones established under the four core international treaties, with the objective of correcting the deficiencies in the already established bodies as discussed, and adapting it to meet the special nature of international humanitarian law.After all, the purpose of international humanitarian law is to "go beyond the interstate levels and …to reach for the level of the real (or ultimate) beneficiaries of humanitarian protection, i.e. individuals and groups of individuals. In this regard, the individual complaints procedure should have an all embracing approach. It should cover all types of violation, simple, grave and serious. It should also cover all parties, state and non – state actors and have as criteria, all acts that constitute a violation against international humanitarian law. This would have all the overall advantage of providing access to all individuals who feel their international humanitarian rights have been violated. This will serve the end of justice, the very purpose behind the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols.One possible problem is that given the peculiar nature of international conflicts and international humanitarian law, it may be difficult to establish facts and claims. My suggestion to help rectify this possible obstacle is to take a look at the International Fact Finding Committee as provided for in Article 81 of Protocol One.Within the purview of the general discussion in this paper, this provision could be amended in order to serve the objective of an individual complaints procedure under international humanitarian law.Since this commission in its composition is independent and involves members of high moral integrity and acknowledged impartiality, its work could go a long way in complementing the work of the individual complaints commission.The consequence is that international humanitarian law would have gone a step further in its development as an important part of international law, distinct, and yet similar to international human rights. It would also avoid losing its unique character, but would rather serve as an authoritative guide for instance when applying international human rights in armed conflict.BIBLIOGRAPHYCaso Las Palmeras, Exepciones Preliminares, Sentencia de 04 de Febrero de 2000, Serie C, No 66G. Abi – Saab, "The Specificities of Humanitarian Law", in C. Swinarski, ed. Studies and Essays on International Humanitarian Law and Red Cross in Honour of Jean Pictet ( Geneva/The Hague, ICRC 1984) pp. 265,269; Jane K. Kleffner and Liesbeth Zegveld, " Establishing an Individual Complaints Procedure for Violations of International Humanitarian Law". in Yearbook of International Humanitarian Law. Volume 3 – 2000 pp. 384 – 401Tadic Case No IT – 94 – 1 – T, 7 May 1997T. Meron, " The Humanization of Humanitarian Law", 94 AJIl ( 2000) pp. 239, 246 – 247, 251 - 253Leisbeth Zegveld, "Remedies for Victims of violations of International Humanitarian Law". RICR, September, 2003 Vol. 85 No 851 497
Effectiveness of the Complaints Procedure in International Law
An examination of the overall objective of International Human Rights Law and International Humanitarian Law will reveal that the underlying goal of both laws is to protect the lives and dignity of the human personality.
This fact is readily discernable from the provisions of both laws regarding the prohibition of torture, cruel or inhuman treatment or punishment, prohibition of slavery or servitude and the prohibition of retroactive criminal laws.
International Humanitarian Law, however as it stands today, and unlike International Human rights has no judicial or quasi judicial mechanism to consider complaints from individuals who are victims of international humanitarian violations. This phenomenon, is in my view, paradoxical since the basic principles of justice is to ensure that there is unhindered accessibility to everyone, which is what the concept of individual complaints procedure seeks to achieve.
International Humanitarian Law as set out in the Four Geneva Conventions and Two Additional Protocols does not expressly envisage causes of action for victims of violations of international humanitarian law in any national or international law, as one would find for example in Article 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which stipulates that individuals whose rights as set forth in that Convention are violated shall have an effective remedy before a national authority.
Although the imposition of individual criminal responsibility, with its establishment of universal jurisdiction and the International Criminal Court can be described as positive steps in the concept of ensuring that justice is done, it is my candid opinion that the very end of justice – individual accessibility has not been served.
The International Criminal Court, the International Red Cross – the guardian of International Humanitarian Law, and the International Fact Finding Committee in Protocol One have all been criticised as lacking in means, mandate, scope and purpose to adequately cater for the interests of individuals whose rights have been violated under international humanitarian law.
As a result of these gaps, there have been calls and debate for an individual complaints procedure as in international human rights – specifically, the core human rights treaties - International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Torture and Cruel inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women.
It is believed that the individual complaints procedure as practised under these conventions are accessible and very uncomplicated and will better serve the ends of justice.
This paper seeks to examine the desirability of establishing an individual complaints procedure in International Humanitarian Law. It looks at how this procedure is practised in the four core humanitarian law treaties, x - raying the so called gaps and inadequacies that are inherent in the statutes of International Criminal Court, the mandate of International Red Cross and in the provision of the International Fact Finding Commission as provided for in Protocol One.
It ends by pointing out the characteristics that make the individual complaints procedure in international human rights, a novelty, for which International Humanitarian Law could draw from.
As stated by the United Nations Secretary General, one of the objectives of establishing the international criminal court is to prosecute and punish persons responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
There is no doubt that this goal is laudable because it establishes the principle of individual criminal accountability for all who commit such acts. This principle is now the cornerstone of international criminal law. There are however gaps when viewed within the context of individuals, who are victims of violations of international humanitarian law and their access to justice.
Firstly, an examination of Article 5 of the court's statute shows that the jurisdiction of the Court shall be limited to the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole, and thus only crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression are relevant.
A look at Article 7 also shows that, "crime against humanity" means any act(s) when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack.
Article 8 (1) also provides that the court shall have jurisdiction in respect of war crimes "in particular when committed as a part of a plan or policy or as part of a large scale commission of such crimes".
What is characteristic behind all these provisions is that they only concern very serious crimes and they must have been committed as part of a widespread or systematic policy before it becomes a crime. This leaves out a lot of violations which are committed individually and not part of a widespread or systematic policy and is not serious, but with is against the principle of justice, and undoubtedly a violation of International Humanitarian Law.
One could also discern more of this gap in Prosecutor vs. Tadic case. It was stated therein that the crime against humanity refers:
"to inhuman acts of a serious nature …committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population".
In the report of the establishment of a Permanent International Criminal Court, cited in Tadic, it was stated that ' crimes against humanity " usually involves a widespread or systematic attack against the civilian population rather than isolated offences… and particular forms of unlawful acts ( murder, enslavement, torture, rape and imprisonment etc) are less crucial to the definition.
It goes on that "… the thrust behind what is large scale and or widespread is to exclude random acts that was not committed as part of a broader plan or policy ". While, a single act might constitute a crime against humanity, it is not "a single act" in a literal sense, but there must be a link with the widespread or systematic attack on a civilian population".
From the foregoing, one can see that individual violations of international humanitarian law are not provided for in the International Criminal Court statute, and individuals are therefore denied their right of justice.
THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS
The International Red Cross is the guardian of International Humanitarian Law and by virtue of the mandate given to it by the four Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols is responsible for the international implementation of International Humanitarian Law. It is to assist victims of war and encourage States to implement their International Humanitarian Law obligations.
The International Red Cross right of initiative particularly allows it to offer its services or to undertake any action which it deems necessary to ensure the faithful implementation and application of International Humanitarian Law.
It is therefore a kind of supervisory body because it has for instance access to Prisoners of War in international armed conflicts. It may also visit places of detention in non – international armed conflict and other situations of violence.
As one could see from this mandate, the International Red Cross is not so structured to deal with the individual complaints emanating from violations of international humanitarian law.
It does not have the means, the purpose and the mandate to make enforceable judicial determination of such individual claims. The only method that bears some similarity to any form of complaints at all is the confidential discussions it holds with governments. Its structure could at best be described as broad, general, exclusively humanitarian and inadequate to deal with individual violations of international humanitarian law.
INTERNATIONAL FACT FINDING COMMISSION
The International Fact Finding Commission as provided for in Article 90 (1) of Protocol One is relevant in this discussion because some had argued whether by the mandate given to it and the composition of the Commission, it is capable of exercising, particularly if improved, the functions and role of an individual complaints commission or could complement the role of an individual complaints commission, if established. It is important to state that the Commission has not been used.
Paragraph 2 ( c) of Article 90 states their competency to inquire into any facts alleged to be a grave breach of International Humanitarian Law as defined by the Convention and Protocol.
Paragraph 2 (c) 11 also states that it shall through the use its good offices restore an attitude of respect for the Conventions and Protocols and serious violations thereof.
Paragraph 2 (d) is to the effect that the Commission shall institute an inquiry at the request of a party to the conflict only with the consent of the other party concerned.
As could be seen from the above, the international fact finding commission cannot perform any of the role and functions of an individual complaints procedure because it also falls into the same trap or gap as the International Criminal Court. Only serious or grave violations seem to be the concern of the International Commission and private or individual violations are left out.
It is also important to point out that an inquiry can only be made to the Commission only at the request of a party to the conflict. This is leaves out individuals or persons who are not parties to the conflict, but whose humanitarian rights are violated.
INDIVIDUAL COMPLAINTS, HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICE AND INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW
The success of the individual complaints procedure as practised in the context of the core international human rights treaties has raised the question of whether supervision of compliance with international humanitarian law can be improved upon in the same manner. The effect of armed conflict on civilian suffering and the similarities between International Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law have also encouraged some human rights bodies to apply international humanitarian law, but the problem with this approach is that international human right treaties are not adequately equipped to deal with international humanitarian issues.
A good example is the Inter American Commission on Human Rights, which found out that although the American Convention on Human Rights is applicable in times of armed conflict, it is not designed to regulate situations of war.
Other problems that occur with the interpretation of international humanitarian law by human rights bodies are those of mandate regarding these bodies and the unilateral reference only to acts of states in such applications.
The first of these problems find some support in the decision of the Las Palmeras case, where the court held that it was not competent to apply the Geneva Conventions, whenever necessary to interpret a rule of the American Convention.
The second problem is to the fact that they do not cover violations of international humanitarian law by other parties to the conflict such as armed opposition groups, nor does it deal with individuals whose humanitarian rights are violated.
By the very nature of international humanitarian law, guarantees are made to the individuals, which states may derogate from under international human rights conventions. International Humanitarian Law also bestows on the individual rights which go beyond the non – derogable human rights.
Applying international humanitarian law under international human rights treaties will not therefore adequately serve the objective behind the Conventions and Protocols. It would rather undermine it, as it may lose its essence, hence the call for an individual complaints procedure that takes this peculiar situation into account at all times and which will take into consideration the gaps in the measures aimed at improving compliance with International Humanitarian Law.
The Novelty in the Individual Complaints Procedure of the International Human Right Treaties
An evident sign in human rights law and its progress is the fact that individuals who claim their rights and freedoms had been violated may ask that the State account for its actions. This is however possible only under 4 or the 6 so called "core " human right treaties. They are the International Civil and Political Rights, Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel and inhuman Treatment or Punishment, International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination and the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women.
The novelty in these treaties is the fact that they establish a quasi – judicial committee to examine complaints from individuals. The complaints mechanisms are designed to be uncomplicated and accessible to the individual. One does not for instance need to be a lawyer in order to lodge a complaint.
A further novelty to the complaint mechanism under each individual treaty is that they are complemented by the complaints procedures before the Commission of Human Rights and Commission on the Status of Women, although these two procedures have a different focus from those under the international treaties.
This is because complaints to the Commission focus on a more systematic pattern and trend of human rights violations and may be brought against any country in the world. Like the complaints procedures under the international treaties, the complaints procedure also seeks to avoid legal and technical terms and procedures and are accessible to everyone.
Under the complaints mechanism in the four international human rights treaties, there is a body of independent experts, elected by State parties of each of the relevant treaty with a quasi – judicial adjudication status.
Their task is to monitor implementation in States that are parties of the rights set forth in the treaties and decide on the complaints brought against them. Although, there are procedural variations between the 4 mechanisms in the 4 international human rights treaties, their design and operations are very much similar.
The characteristic of their accessibility is particularly noteworthy for international humanitarian law in the sense that anyone can bring a complaint. It is also possible for claims to be brought on behalf of another person if there is a written consent, except in the case of children.
It is against only a State however that complaints might be brought. This will not serve the peculiarities of international humanitarian law as most participants in today's armed conflicts involve non – state actors, such as armed opposition groups
Overview of Individual Complaints Procedure for International Humanitarian Law
As I had discussed, what exist today in International Humanitarian Law is not enough to meet the demands of justice and protection which the Geneva Conventions and its Additional Protocol seeks to confer on individuals.
The bodies such as International Criminal Court, the International Red Cross and the International Fact Finding though are positive developments, they are not adequate and cannot serve the interests of individuals as conferred by the Conventions and Additional Protocols.
The practice of human rights bodies, although also positive, stands the danger of undermining international humanitarian law. This makes it apparent therefore for an individual complaints procedure fashioned after the ones established under the four core international treaties, with the objective of correcting the deficiencies in the already established bodies as discussed, and adapting it to meet the special nature of international humanitarian law.
After all, the purpose of international humanitarian law is to "go beyond the interstate levels and …to reach for the level of the real (or ultimate) beneficiaries of humanitarian protection, i.e. individuals and groups of individuals.
In this regard, the individual complaints procedure should have an all embracing approach. It should cover all types of violation, simple, grave and serious.
It should also cover all parties, state and non – state actors and have as criteria, all acts that constitute a violation against international humanitarian law. This would have all the overall advantage of providing access to all individuals who feel their international humanitarian rights have been violated. This will serve the end of justice, the very purpose behind the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols.
One possible problem is that given the peculiar nature of international conflicts and international humanitarian law, it may be difficult to establish facts and claims. My suggestion to help rectify this possible obstacle is to take a look at the International Fact Finding Committee as provided for in Article 81 of Protocol One.
Within the purview of the general discussion in this paper, this provision could be amended in order to serve the objective of an individual complaints procedure under international humanitarian law.
Since this commission in its composition is independent and involves members of high moral integrity and acknowledged impartiality, its work could go a long way in complementing the work of the individual complaints commission.
The consequence is that international humanitarian law would have gone a step further in its development as an important part of international law, distinct, and yet similar to international human rights. It would also avoid losing its unique character, but would rather serve as an authoritative guide for instance when applying international human rights in armed conflict.
Caso Las Palmeras, Exepciones Preliminares, Sentencia de 04 de Febrero de 2000, Serie C, No 66
G. Abi – Saab, "The Specificities of Humanitarian Law", in C. Swinarski, ed. Studies and Essays on International Humanitarian Law and Red Cross in Honour of Jean Pictet ( Geneva/The Hague, ICRC 1984) pp. 265,269;
Jane K. Kleffner and Liesbeth Zegveld, " Establishing an Individual Complaints Procedure for Violations of International Humanitarian Law". in Yearbook of International Humanitarian Law. Volume 3 – 2000 pp. 384 – 401
Tadic Case No IT – 94 – 1 – T, 7 May 1997
T. Meron, " The Humanization of Humanitarian Law", 94 AJIl ( 2000) pp. 239, 246 – 247, 251 - 253
Leisbeth Zegveld, "Remedies for Victims of violations of International Humanitarian Law". RICR, September, 2003 Vol. 85 No 851 497
<source icrc.org>
Origins and impact of the French Civil Code (06/03/2012)


What if you could have graphical and colourful images of Bollywood films and portraits of your favourite film stars in your favourite roles, in unique shades and hues and meaningful sketches at home? And think when all of this is minimalistic and not loud!
When they say, 'A Picture is worth a thousand words', Akshar Pathak, a young poster artist and graphic designer actually means it through his Minimal Bollywood Posters and Tweetards. If you look at his poster of Anil Kapoor in Mr. India (1987), you will be able to resonate the image with the film really well, as just like Anil Kapoor is otherwise invisible but can only be seen in infra-red or red light area, his poster too paints the lead actor of the movie in the same fashion. Wouldn't it be cool to keep such a portrait of Mr. India on your wall?
His images are both theme-based and visually appealing while using minimalist colours and focussing on aesthetically pleasing pictures that do not shout the movie name but give a big hint and reveal the basic theme. They are either the most famous dialogue of the movie or an image of a thing, place or name, creatively letting out on the basic concept behind the film that has lured maximum audience. Take for instance, his images of the movie Band Baaja Baraat (2010) where he just portrays a bread pakora with the dialogue 'ki kasam'!
His Facebook page, Minimal Bollywood Posters (started February 2012) is doing pretty good with numerous likes now and has become the rage on micro-blogging site Twitter as well. It is as if through these images, Pathak is making people look at a fresh perspective to the film and what he considers to be the iconic scene from the movie. Well, what to say other than simplicity at its best!
Pathak's love for painting and sketching and the Batman – Shaktimaan mash-up comics that he used to create has led him to a profession in this career, where he used both sketching and Photoshop to his aid to make these attractive and meaningful posters, which he likes to call 'uncomplicated'. He strongly believes that his work is meant for his pleasure as much as client's needs. Though this initiative of minimalist aesthetics started out as nothing but a joke, where Pathak was influenced by Ibraheem Youssef's concept pictures for Quentin Tarantino's films, he could not have known that this idea would create a rage among social media fans and the Bollywood industry. He has also been asked to make such posters for Happily Unmarried, Comic Con India, a design and marketing firm, DSYN and currently Zomato.
However, his minimalistic posters, he believes cannot be strong contenders for promoting films unlike it is done for advertisements. He has only designed posters for films that have witnessed a theatrical release such as Zanjeer (1973) and Amar Prem (1972). The film posters these days reveal much about the film to lure audiences and here, his minimalist aesthetics based on a striking quality or element of the film might not work. However, Pathak remains hopeful that gradually and eventually, the art of minimalism will be a recognized one and will become heavily popular.
Such is his genius that he can create posters only with a familiar song, dialogue or an item frequently used in the movie without even having watched it. He did the same for Mohra (1994) where he only knew that the song 'Tip Tip Barsa Pani' is from this movie!
Pathak's brainchild, Tweetard is an initiative where he makes graphical images or posters out of either his own tweets or other's tweets. His Tweetards help to keep the effect of witty and lame jokes and interesting tweets permanent through beautiful pictures that form an entire gallery. Could you believe even tweets could be handpicked and made graphical?
While for Minimal Bollywood Posters, Akshar has used the fact that people in India love to watch movies and used it to deconstruct and simplify movie ideas for them, thus converting them into minimalist art. Many popular Bollywood movies have been a part of this art form, the poster art by Pathak, whether it be the depiction of orange juice and carom board in Munnabhai MBBS or the old conventional telephone of yesteryears in Hera Pheri. As of Pathak, he takes ideas and suggestions from people on the movies he wants to make posters for, but his illustrations are completely his own ideas based on the visual relations he experiences while watching a movie.
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text:
The fountains of silence
Sepetys, Ruta, author.
Franco, Francisco, 1892-1975-Fiction.
Hotels -- Fiction.
Secrets -- Fiction.
Americans -- Spain -- Fiction.
Photography -- Fiction.
Government, Resistance to -- Fiction.
Madrid (Spain) -- History -- Fiction.
Spain -- History -- 20th century -- Fiction.
Historical fiction.
Madrid, 1957. Daniel Matheson, the son of a Texas oil tycoon, arrives in Madrid with his parents hoping to connect with the country of his mother's birth through the lens of his camera. He meets Ana Moreno, whose family's interweaving obstacles reveal the lingering grasp of the Spanish Civil War-- as well as chilling definitions of fortune and fear. Daniel's photographs leave him with uncomfortable questions amidst shadows of danger. -- adapted from jacket
Book TEEN FICTION SEP 0 1
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray comes a gripping, extraordinary portrait of love, silence, and secrets under a Spanish dictatorship.
Madrid, 1957. Under the fascist dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, Spain is hiding a dark secret. Meanwhile, tourists and foreign businessmen flood into Spain under the welcoming promise of sunshine and wine. Among them is eighteen-year-old Daniel Matheson, the son of an oil tycoon, who arrives in Madrid with his parents hoping to connect with the country of his mother's birth through the lens of his camera. Photography--and fate--introduce him to Ana, whose family's interweaving obstacles reveal the lingering grasp of the Spanish Civil War--as well as chilling definitions of fortune and fear. Daniel's photographs leave him with uncomfortable questions amidst shadows of danger. He is backed into a corner of difficult decisions to protect those he loves. Lives and hearts collide, revealing an incredibly dark side to the sunny Spanish city.
Master storyteller Ruta Sepetys once again shines light into one of history's darkest corners in this epic, heart-wrenching novel about identity, unforgettable love, repercussions of war, and the hidden violence of silence--inspired by the true postwar struggles of Spain.
Includes vintage media reports, oral history commentary, photos, and more.
Praise for The Fountains of Silence
"Spain under Francisco Franco is as dystopian a setting as Margaret Atwood's Gilead in Ruta Sepetys's suspenseful, romantic and timely new work of historical fiction . . . Like [Shakespeare's family romances], 'The Fountains of Silence' speaks truth to power, persuading future rulers to avoid repeating the crimes of the past." -- The New York Times Book Review
"Full of twists and revelations...an excellent story, and timely, too." -- The Wall Street Journal
"A staggering tale of love, loss, and national shame." --Entertainment Weekly
* "[Sepetys] tells a moving story made even more powerful by its placement in a lesser-known historical moment. Captivating, deft, and illuminating historical fiction." -- Booklist , *STARRED REVIEW*
* "This gripping, often haunting historical novel offers a memorable portrait of fascist Spain." -- Publishers Weekly , *STARRED REVIEW*
* "This richly woven historical fiction . . . will keep young adults as well as adults interested from the first page to the last." -- SLC , *STARRED REVIEW*
* "Riveting . . . An exemplary work of historical fiction." -- The Horn Book , *STARRED REVIEW*
Ruta Sepetys is the award-winning, bestselling author of Between Shades of Gray, Out of the Easy and Salt to the Sea, for which she won the 2017 Carnegie Medal. From the Hardcover edition.
Sepetys (Salt to the Sea) again deftly explores a painful chapter in history, this time Franco's Madrid. In 1957, 18-year-old Daniel, an aspiring photojournalist from Texas, visits Spain with his Spanish mother and American oil tycoon father. After arriving, he hones his lens on the culture, in some cases capturing forbidden images that earn the wrath of the menacing Guardia Civil, and he forms a relationship with his enigmatic hotel attendant, Ana, and her family, who are barely surviving, in stark contrast to Daniel's family's affluence. The tension heightens as a mystery involving orphans unfolds and Daniel and Ana's magnetic romance progresses. The novel revolves around Ana's brother, Rafa, a bullfighting promoter; her cousin Puri, who works at an orphanage; a lecherous American ambassador; and an experienced newspaper bureau chief, who mentors Daniel. Sepetys skillfully conveys Spain's atmosphere under Franco--who limited women's rights and squelched rebellion--with a pervasive feeling of fear and economic oppression. Compelling primary source materials, such as memos from U.S. presidents, oral history excerpts, and even hotel brochures, precede some chapters and contextualize the narrative. This gripping, often haunting historical novel offers a memorable portrait of fascist Spain. Ages 12--up. (Oct.)
Horn Book Review
Sepetyss riveting historical epic examines the enduring effects of the Spanish Civil War through the perspectives of four young people living under the shadow of Francos fascist dictatorship in 1957 Madrid. Ana and Rafael are siblings whose Republican educator parents were murdered for opposing Francos Nationalist party. Now, almost twenty years later, the family still struggles. Ana is a maid in an American-style hotel, while Rafael splits his time between working in a slaughterhouse and digging graves. They earn pennies even as Francos government grows rich off American tourism and oil industries. Their cousin Puri, a loyal fascist, is a caregiver at a Catholic orphanage, where she is increasingly disturbed by some troubling discoveries concerning the infants in her charge. Daniel, an aspiring American photojournalist whose mother is from Spain and father is a Texas oil baron, befriends Ana and Rafael and begins to question everything hes been told about Spain and its pretty faadeespecially after he and Ana fall in love. Through lively characters and short, swiftly paced chapters permeated with elements of mystery and suspense, Sepetys thoroughly and sensitively explores the vast social, economic, and political issues that plagued postwar Spain, including the selling of stolen Republican infants to Nationalist families. Excerpts from newspapers, government documents, and interviews from and about the time add another layer of veracity. Back matter includes an authors note, an extensive bibliography, information on sources, a glossary of Spanish words and phrases, and a photo gallery. An exemplary work of historical fiction. jennifer hubert swan September/October 2019 p.100(c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
It's 1957 and aspiring photographer Daniel Matheson is visiting Spain with his Texas oil tycoon father. Daniel is eager for the opportunity to flesh out his portfolio for a photography contest what would be more prize-worthy than photos of daily life in notoriously secretive Spain? but he gets repeated warnings, some quite aggressive, against looking too closely. Another thing Daniel doesn't bank on is Ana, an arrestingly beautiful maid at the Castellana Hilton, where he's staying with his parents. As their affection deepens, so, too, do their differences: Ana, daughter of executed anti-Fascists, lives a tightly constrained existence, and Daniel has unprecedented freedom in her country and can't quite wrap his head around the danger he puts her in. In another meticulously researched novel, Sepetys (Salt to the Sea, 2015) offers a captivating glimpse into Franco's Spain, a region awash in secrets and misinformation. As Sepetys slowly unspools hard truths about the era, such as the prevalence of babies stolen from poor, Republican families, the facts become increasingly impossible to ignore, both for the reader and for Daniel. The romance ultimately takes center stage, but the troubling events in the margins add terrifyingly high stakes to Daniel and Ana's relationship. For all her extensive, careful research (evident in the back matter), Sepetys doesn't overwhelm readers with facts; rather, she tells a moving story made even more powerful by its placement in a lesser-known historical moment. Captivating, deft, and illuminating historical fiction. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: A new novel from best-selling, award-winning Sepetys is always news, but this latest has a hefty promotional campaign to bolster it up as well.--Sarah Hunter Copyright 2019 Booklist
Gr 7 Up--In her latest historical novel, Sepetys illuminates dark secrets about Francisco Franco's fascist rule of Spain. In 1957 Madrid, 18-year-old aspiring photojournalist Daniel Matheson is staying at the luxurious Castellana Hilton Hotel with his Texas oil tycoon father and Spanish mother. Daniel befriends Ana, a hotel employee, whose attraction to Daniel is constrained by fear about losing her job and by silence about her family tragedies. When Daniel turns his camera lens on local people and places, he captures provocative images of nuns and orphans, infant burials, an impassioned, struggling bullfighter, the intimidating Guardia Civil military police, Ana's impoverished homelife, and his father shaking hands with Franco. Gradually, Daniel discovers that beneath the bustling tourist and business vibe of Madrid lurks the dark realities of Franco's regime: stolen children, sinister church and government collusion, murder of Franco's political adversaries, and the abuse and re-education of surviving children--like Ana and her siblings. Troubled by unanswered questions, Daniel returns to the U.S. with his parents and a newly adopted sister. He revisits Spain with his sister 18 years later, after Franco's death. As he introduces his sister to her original culture, he fondly reconnects with Ana and learns the truth of his sister's parentage. This multidimensional story contains a rich cast of characters with different perspectives, vivid descriptions, romance, and cultural insights. Multiple narrative threads are skillfully woven together. Official quotations from academic and foreign service archives are interspersed among the chapters and document the conflicted relationship between the U.S. and Franco. VERDICT This well-crafted story sheds light on a disturbing chapter of 20th century history and helps break the silence and expose the tragedy of 300,000 children adopted or stolen during Franco's rule.--Gerry Larson, formerly at Durham Public Schools, NC
The pitiless dictatorship of Francisco Franco examined through the voices of four teenagers: one American and three Spaniards.The Spanish Civil War lasted from 1936-1939, but Franco held Spain by its throat for 36 years. Sepetys (Salt to the Sea, 2016, etc.) begins her novel in 1957. Daniel is a white Texan who wants to be a photojournalist, not an oilman; Ana is trying to work her way to respectability as a hotel maid; her brother, Rafael, wants to erase memories of an oppressive boys' home; and Puri is a loving caregiver for babies awaiting adoptiontogether they provide alternating third-person lenses for viewing Spain during one of its most brutally repressive periods. Their lives run parallel and intersect as each tries to answer questions about truth and the path ahead within a regime that crushes any opposition, murders dissidents, and punishes their families while stealing babies to sell to parents with accepted political views. This formidable story will haunt those who ask hard questions about the past as it reveals the hopes and dreams of individuals in a nation trying to lie its way to the future. Meticulous research is presented through believable, complex characters on the brink of adulthood who personalize the questions we all must answer about our place in the world. A stunning novel that exposes modern fascism and elevates human resilience. (author's note, research and sources, glossary, photographs) (Historical fiction. 15-adult) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Chapter 1 They stand in line for blood. June's early sun blooms across a string of women waiting patiently at el matadero . Fans snap open and flutter, replying to Madrid's warmth and the scent of open flesh wafting from the slaughterhouse. The blood will be used for morcilla , blood sausage. It must be measured with care. Too much blood and the sausage is not firm. Too little and the sausage crumbles like dry earth. Rafael wipes the blade on his apron, his mind miles from morcilla . He turns slowly from the line of customers and puts his face to the sky. In his mind it is Sunday. The hands of the clock touch six. It is time. The trumpet sounds and the march of the pasodoble rolls through the arena. Rafael steps onto the sand, into the sun. He is ready to meet Fear. In the center box of the bullring sits Spain's dictator, Generalísimo Francisco Franco. They call him El Caudillo -- leader of armies, hero by the grace of God. Franco looks down to the ring. Their eyes meet. You don't know me, Generalísimo, but I know you. I am Rafael Torres Moreno, and today, I am not afraid. "Rafa!" The supervisor swats the back of Rafael's damp neck. "Are you blind? There's a line. Stop daydreaming. The blood, Rafa. Give them their blood." Rafa nods, walking toward the patrons. His visions of the bullring quickly disappear. Give them their blood. Memories of war tap at his brain. The small, taunting voice returns, choking daydreams into nightmares. You do remember, don't you, Rafa? He does. The silhouette is unmistakable. Patent-leather men with patent-leather souls. The Guardia Civil. He secretly calls them the Crows. They are servants of Generalísimo Franco and they have appeared on the street. "Please. Not here," whispers Rafael from his hiding spot beneath the trees. The wail of a toddler echoes above. He looks up and sees Julia at the open window, holding their youngest sister, Ana. Their father's voice booms from inside. "Julia, close the window! Lock the door and wait for your mother. Where is Rafa?" "Here, Papá," whispers Rafael, his small legs folded in hiding. "I'm right here." His father appears at the door. The Crows appear at the curb. The shot rings out. A flash explodes. Julia screams from above. Rafa's body freezes. No breath. No air. No. No. No. They drag his father's limp corpse by an arm. "¡Papá!" It's too late. As the cry leaves his throat, Rafa realizes. He's given himself away. A pair of eyes dart. "His boy's behind the tree. Grab him." Rafa blinks, blocking the painful memories, hiding his collapsed heart beneath a smile. " Buenos días, señora. How may I help you?" he asks the customer. "Blood." "Sí, señora." Give them their blood. For more than twenty years, Spain has given blood. And sometimes Rafa wonders -- what is left to give? Excerpted from The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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Raised On Radio: An Underrated Gem
Posted on September 3, 2020 by nathanalbright
Although it has not always been cool to say so, I have long been a fan of Journey, and the last album in their run of success through the late 1970's and 1980's is "Raised On Radio." When looked in the context of albums as a whole, the album did well. It had a peak position on the Billboard 200 of #4 and has sold more than two million copies to date. These are not bad numbers for an album by any means. The album, though, was not viewed as a success given that the previous set of albums from the group had all done much better. And the process of recording the album was a bit of a drag too. Although Steve Perry did production (more on that later), bringing it in house, he had needed to be convinced to do the project earlier as he had enjoyed being a solo artist, and it was working on songs with Jonathan Cain that led him to come back rather than continue on as a solo artist. And other people had issues as well. Bassist Ross Vallery and Drummer Steve Smith were not enthused with the material they were seeing nor the thought of touring in support of it, and so they left the band, being replaced by studio musicians who included later American Idol judge Randy Jackson (more on him later as well). All of this drama over a successful album full of decent material seems somewhat strange. Was it all worth it?
If you look at the songs from this album that have endured, it was definitely worth it. First single "Be Good To Yourself" was a driving rock song that served as an effective leadoff single for the band, hitting #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the Mainstream Rock charts. And if follow-up "Suzanne," was not as successful, it still ended up hitting #17 on the Hot 100 and #11 on Mainstream Rock. Third single "Girl Can't Help It" also hit #17 on the Hot 100 and went to #9 on Mainstream Rock. "Raised On Radio" was a moderate hit on mainstream rock, peaking at #27, before ballad "I'll Be Alright Without You" hit #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #7 on the Adult Contemporary Chart while late-album single "Why Can't This Night Go On Forever" ended up being a top 30 hit on Adult Contemporary as well as being a minor hit on the Billboard Hot 100 at #60 [1]. This is by no means a bad chart performance by any means.
One of the warning signs that things would not be going as well this time around was the fact that none of the singles from the album ended up making the YE list, likely because of a lack of longevity. Still, at least three of these songs have endured in the memory of Journey fans, likely because they were picked for the Greatest Hits album, which was my introduction to the larger body of work for the group personally. "Be Good To Yourself," "Girl Can't Help It," and "I'll Be Alright Without You" all fit in well with the band's work as a whole and create a seamless picture of success for a decade of music. Later compilation "The Essential Journey," a two-disc set, adds "The Eyes Of A Woman" as another song it considered worth remembering along with underrated tracks like "Stone In Love" and "Still They Ride" from earlier Journey albums and "Message Of Love" from 1996 comeback "Trial By Fire," another excellent album. And Steve Perry's work on production is stellar. A clear example of this is in the hooky "Girl Can't Help It," which has a scorching Neal Schon solo and multiple vocal hooks courtesy of Cain and Perry, along with a gorgeous a capella ending with "Oooh, nothing stands between love and you," which provides the right kind of chill to make this song a favorite of the band despite its modest success on the charts.
And ultimately, that is what an album is going to be remembered for. The highs of Raised On Radio were well worth the band's effort, and it is a great shame that the stress of the album in what it did to the band made it so difficult for them to come back again. It would be nearly a decade between the end of the touring for Raised On Radio and the band's comeback effort with "Trial By Fire." Steve Perry was already dealing with some health difficulties which would plague his later recordings. And it is not as if things were better after this album for the group as a whole. Steve Perry had an album "Against The Wall" scrapped and only managed a second solo album in 1994 with "For The Love Of Strange Medicine," whose success (the album went gold) presaged the successful comeback effort of Trial By Fire which went Platinum. And it would be nice to say that this comeback success ended the drama of Journey among its members, but that is sadly not the case. At present, as I write this, Journey is dealing with drama as Vallory and Smith were let go of the band again, and replaced with studio musicians (including, humorously enough, Randy Jackson again) in a fight over who gets to claim the identity of being a part of the group. Making great music together does not mean that one can work together as well as one would want, and sadly Journey is an example of that.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raised_on_Radio
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Poor Man's Fight opens by introducing us to a group of spaceborne pirates led by the affable and charismatic Captain Casey, a charming scoundrel who initially seems like he'd get along fine with Mal Reynolds or Han Solo. Casey's band of wisecracking space pirates have just crippled, captured, and boarded a massive corporate luxury liner, and they're in the process of shaking down its wealthy passengers for valuables. Yet instead of harming or robbing the liner's working class crew, Casey separates the crew from the rich people who have pressed them into service and offers them a deal.
Casey's pitch is generous. If any of the crew wish to join the pirates, they'll gain freedom from the crushing debt imposed by their corporate masters and a chance to join an egalitarian pirate family who share loot and responsibility equally. To make the deal even sweeter, any crew who join up will get a share of the loot being plundered right now. Yet regardless of their choice, Casey promises the crew they'll be released unharmed at the end of the boarding action, so long as they don't resist. It's a tempting offer, especially given how deeply in debt the liner's crew are to their corporate overlords.
Soon enough, a new batch of new recruits have joined the pirates, while those who refused have been efficiently packed into lifeboats and set free, just as Casey promised. That's when the affable and charming Captain Casey (and his quippy and interesting crew of wisecracking space pirates) massacre the hundreds of wealthy men, women, and children remaining on the ship by venting them into space. If you imagined the crew of Serenity as psychopaths, that's essentially who these people are.
While brutal and shocking, Captain Casey's mixture of egalitarian generosity and cold-blooded murder becomes increasingly understandable thanks to way author Elliott Kay (who has extensively studied how historical pirate crews operated) writes his pirates. Kay does a terrific job of translating the actual methods, motivations, and thinking of historical pirates into a space age dominated by the 1%, and much of our time with the pirates comes through Darren, a poor hyperdrive tech who signs up with the pirates during their increasingly bold attacks. Darren's fascinating journey offers a clear look at how pirates historically justified their actions and continued to recruit willing additions despite the dangers.
Yet Kay's book is still military SF, which means running in parallel to its space pirate narrative is the soon-to-be-launched military career of Tanner Malone, a young man who never has any intention of joining his planet's spaceborne navy. After he's ensnared by his capitalistic society's reliance on corporate-owned education facilities and laws ensuring he'll never graduate school without crippling bills, Tanner's debt forces him to enlist in the navy despite his reservations. And despite his distaste for violence and the lack of respect he's shown by his first crew, he soon finds he excels at naval service.
Most of the first half of Kay's book is devoted to Tanner's training and later experiences on a small patrol boat in his planet's navy, and while much of it is interesting, it feels very similar to all the military SF I've read before … at least until the final third of the book. After Casey's crew of charming and murderous pirates takes over another passenger liner, literally every mundane and seemingly arbitrary skill the navy has drilled into Tanner suddenly becomes critically important, not just to his survival, but to the survival of hundreds of men, women, and children on yet another captured passenger liner.
As Tanner finally collides with Captain Casey's pirate crew and even poor Darren (who's just trying to survive) the book turns into Die Hard in space, and it's great. One scene in particular involving hostage negotiation had me cheering, because it is exactly what I've wanted every hero to do in a bad situation. Without the setup and training sequences that preceded Tanner's collision with Casey's pirates, the tense cat-and-mouse action that follows might have seemed unbelievable, but because of how well Kay sets everything up in the first two-thirds of the book, every desperate gambit Tanner manages to pull off feels earned. Tanner's final encounter with Casey's pirates is riveting and fun.
Essentially, the first two-thirds of the book are interesting, but they also serve to tee up and deliver a thrilling third act aboard a crippled luxury liner with hundreds of lives at stake. If you enjoy pulse-pounding ship boarding activities, hostage negotiation, and asymmetric engagements, this book delivers in force, with some biting social commentary on for profit education and how the machinations of the 1% harm society at large interwoven into the action. Given Casey and Tanner's circumstances, the title Poor Man's Fight couldn't be more apt, and a stinger at the end of the book (to be clear, the book does stand alone) offers tantalizing clues as to who is really behind these pirate attacks, teasing a sequel.