Berlin, May 18 (Prensa Latina) The Association for the Right to Peace in Germany (Ialana) organized a workshop titled Litigation Strategies Against Sanctions, to demonstrate the possibilities of legal action based on the example of Cuba.
The objective of the event was to connect different stakeholders and agree on opportunities and practical action options for strategic management in response to the effects of US measures in Germany and Europe, Ialana explained.
Possible approaches for legal action include human rights violations through the blockade against Cubans living in Europe, companies with ties and cooperation with the island, and solidarity organizations, the association reported.
The event was attended by the Embassy Counselor and Deputy Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba in Germany, Miguel Torres Tesoro; representatives of solidarity organizations such as Cuba Sí and Netzwerk Cuba; representatives of the German Section for a World without Nuclear Threat (Ippnw); and legal experts from Ialana.
Before the workshop began, a video was shown by renowned jurist Norman Paech, who presided over the Brussels Court’s ruling on the lockdown in 2023. Unfortunately, Paech was unable to attend for personal reasons.
Heiner Fechner, co-president of the organization, opened the event and announced the workshop’s objective, as well as the background to the association’s work on sanctions.
As he emphasized, the goal is to raise public awareness about the issue of sanctions against the Global South and discuss possible legal action.
Publicist and activist Joachim Guillard provided a broad political context for the blockade in the context of the changing world order, and also addressed sanctions in general.
Representatives of solidarity organizations reported on two cases in which banks refused to carry out transactions. These cases, according to the organization, could provide a suitable basis for future proceedings.
Miguel Torres Tesoro of the Cuban diplomatic mission in Berlin then explained the historical and legal framework of the blockade.
The deputy ambassador outlined Cuba’s diplomatic perspective on the situation and addressed the United States’ political objective of overthrowing the Cuban Revolution.
Finally, Ialana Executive Member Otto Jäckel presented on strategic litigation before German courts and discussed experiences, opportunities, and risks.
Specifically, it addresses the procedural possibilities and experiences in strategic litigation against German companies, the European Commission, and other potential defendants in the EU.
The workshop should be just the beginning of a larger project. Next year, the association plans a multi-day conference on unilateral sanctions against countries in the Global South, also inviting representatives from the affected states.
Ialana is an independent international organization of jurists committed to nonviolent conflict resolution and nuclear disarmament. The German branch was founded in 1989 in Bonn.
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