Andrew Novak
banner
indyj02.bsky.social
Andrew Novak
@indyj02.bsky.social

Instructional Associate Professor of Criminology Law & Society, George Mason University 🐨 clemency/pardons, tribal law, comparative law, punishment, sport history ⚽️🏳️‍🌈

Political science 53%
Sociology 23%
Pinned
My article about the Queen’s 1968 death penalty commutations in Rhodesia - which were ignored by the Smith regime as it carried out its first post-UDI executions, is now live. 😁 www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Contesting the Royal Prerogative of Mercy: The Queen’s Pardons and the 1968 Constitutional Crisis over the Death Penalty in Rhodesia
In 1968, the Queen attempted to use her royal prerogative of mercy to prevent the executions of three condemned men in Rhodesia who were convicted of political murders. Though she was still the Rho...
www.tandfonline.com

Reposted by Andrew Novak

Noncitizen voting in local elections was common during the 18th and parts of the 19th centuries and some municipalities in the U.S. have revived the practice. New York City passed a law permitting it, but this year it was struck down.
Ahead of Mayor Race, Noncitizen New Yorkers Grapple with a Voting Policy Failure to Launch
For a brief moment, it seemed some noncitizen New Yorkers may gain the right to vote locally. But with the law struck down earlier this year, they remain at the margins.
boltsmag.org

Reposted by Andrew Novak

“These sanctions affect every aspect of my daily life... Placing people under sanctions plunges them into a state of constant anxiety and powerlessness, with the aim of discouraging them.” - #ICC Judge Nicolas Guillou on US sanctions: thenational.scot/news/25639977.…#ASP2424
ICC judge says sanctions from Donald Trump 'affect every aspect of my life'
AN international judge who was sanctioned by Donald Trump for approving arrest warrants for Israeli leaders has described how the punishment affects…
https://thenational.scot/news/25639977.…
Call for papers:

The Canadian Law and Society Association is holding its annual meeting on 10-12 June 2026 at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Abstracts (along with a 1-page CV) should be submitted by 30 January 2026.

Details in English and French: www.acds-clsa.ca/uploads/1/2/...
www.acds-clsa.ca

Checked out every gay bar in Atlanta 😎👍🏽

British Society of Criminology is also in Nottingham right after 👀 was looking at it
An absolute scandal compounded in this case by failure of French government and EU institutions to forcefully react and sanction in turn those who have sanctioned ICC judges and prosecutors. Makes a total mockery of FR/EU's repeated commitment to the rule of law/ICC

www.lemonde.fr/en/internati...

At least Rhodesia made it to 14 years 🫠

Reposted by Andrew Novak

I love this profile of a thriving Chinatown in Bamako by @rchason.bsky.social. The presence of ordinary Chinese entrepreneurs across Africa is always so much more grassroots and diverse than people might think if they only read 'Belt & Road' coverage
Inside a thriving Chinatown neighborhood in the heart of West Africa
Chinese migrants have created a lively community in the Malian capital of Bamako but the advance of Islamist militants has them questioning their futures.
www.washingtonpost.com

Reposted by Andrew Novak

Just a big battery charger on wheels

Reposted by Andrew Novak

“Sheikh Hasina committed crimes against humanity by her incitement, order, and failure to take punitive measures."

Bangladesh’s ousted leader Sheikh Hasina sentenced to death after crimes against humanity conviction: www.cnn.com/2025/11/17/a... #Bangladesh
Bangladesh’s ousted leader Sheikh Hasina sentenced to death after crimes against humanity conviction | CNN
Sheikh Hasina, the ousted Prime Minister of Bangladesh, has been sentenced to death after being found guilty of crimes against humanity for the violent suppression of student protests last year that l...
www.cnn.com
79-year-old Paul Bojerski was born to Polish parents in a WWII German refugee camp. His family legally emigrated to the U.S. when he was 5.

He’s been taken by ICE in Florida.

www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/16/s...
Sanford grandfather, born in refugee camp, nabbed by ICE after 70 years in U.S.
Paul Bojerski never gained official residency, but he checked in regularly with ICE for years. Then in July, at age 79, he was detained and sent to Alligator Alcatraz.
www.orlandosentinel.com

Reposted by Andrew Novak

Israeli authorities have been systematically abusing Palestinian prisoners with impunity, according to PHRI.
Palestinian deaths in Israeli jails surge amid Gaza war: Report
Israeli authorities have been systematically abusing Palestinian prisoners with impunity, according to PHRI.
bit.ly

Reposted by Andrew Novak

Reposted by Andrew Novak

Chris Mack, who'd been locked up in the Rankin County jail, detailed how a jailhouse assault had left him with broken ribs and two black eyes.

But it wasn’t just guards who attacked him. Mack said a group of inmates joined in—men in the jail’s Trusty Inmate Program, who had special privileges.
How a Mississippi jail turned its inmates into weapons
After a violent scandal involving his deputies, a popular sheriff survived calls to resign. But another scandal was already brewing in his county jail.
revealnews.org
a big runoff last night, in New Orleans:

Calvin Duncan was exonerated after spending *28 years* in prison; he tried to get his own case records from the New Orleans city clerk—but the office dragged its feet.

So Duncan ran to become city clerk himself, and yesterday ousted the incumbent.
Calvin Duncan wins Orleans clerk of court race - Verite News New Orleans
Duncan, a political newcomer and former prisoner, defeated incumbent Darren Lombard by a wide margin in Saturday's runoff.
veritenews.org

Just kidding! I see Tom Clark was confirmed in August 1949. They were quick back then

This is a great statement 😪

I’m doing archival research on Justice Frank Murphy, who died in July 1949, so wondering if this was an 8 member court 🤔

Reposted by Andrew Novak

Chile's right wing is seeking to capitalise on concern over crime and immigration in its bid to replace Gabriel Boric.
Could Chile be on the verge of a political shift in its 2025 election?
Chile's right wing is seeking to capitalise on concern over crime and immigration in its bid to replace Gabriel Boric.
bit.ly

Reposted by Andrew Novak

Latest killings confirmed as US officials reportedly hold meetings to discuss possible military operations in Venezuela
US confirms four people killed in 20th strike on vessel in the Caribbean
Latest killings confirmed as US officials reportedly hold meetings to discuss possible military operations in Venezuela
bit.ly

Okay let’s not get too crazy 🫣 at #ASCinDC2025 @amersoccriminology.bsky.social

Reposted by Andrew Novak

⚡️ US sanctions Ukrainian firms accused of helping supply parts for Iran’s Shahed drones used by Russia.

The two Ukrainian companies targeted were Ekofera and Imperative Ukraine, which the U.S Treasury says are Ukrainian front corporations.
US sanctions Ukrainian firms accused of helping supply parts for Iran’s Shahed drones used by Russia
The two Ukrainian companies targeted were Ekofera and Imperative Ukraine, which the U.S Treasury says are Ukrainian front corporations.
kyivindependent.com

Reposted by Andrew Novak

Update: OK Gov. Kevin Stitt has commuted Woods’ capital sentence! He will not be executed! www.huffpost.com/entry/treman...
Tremane Wood Spared From Execution In Shocking Decision
His case marks only the second time Gov. Kevin Stitt has commuted a death sentence since entering office in 2019.
www.huffpost.com
The International Criminal Court is ditching Microsoft Office, saying it’s too dependent on US tech, in favor of Open Desk, a German open source alternative.

The move comes after Microsoft revoked ICC head Karim Khan’s email access when he was sanctioned by the US for the warrant against Netanyahu.
International Criminal Court to ditch Microsoft Office for European open source alternative | Euractiv
The court will move its internal work environment to Open Desk, a German-developed open source software
www.euractiv.com
Israel has repeatedly been accused of using Palestinians as human shields in violation of international law.
US knew Israeli officials discussed use of human shields in Gaza: Report
Israel has repeatedly been accused of using Palestinians as human shields in violation of international law.
bit.ly

Reposted by Andrew Novak

Now that #Gaza is no longer in the headlines every day, #Sudan is finally getting deserved attention in the wider media, as #genocide continues there, w/recent massacres in El-Fasher by the RSF. www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
‘They killed civilians in their beds’: chaos and brutality reign after fall of El Fasher
Thousands have fled the Sudanese city in terror with stories of the Rapid Support Forces attacking and killing civilians
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Andrew Novak

"Families searching for their missing relatives initiated contact with families searching on the “other side,” hoping they might hold clues to the fate of their loved ones [&] became a bridge: empathy developed, prejudices faded, and solidarity took root." blogs.icrc.org/law-and-poli...
Divided together: how families of the missing build peace
Families of the missing can become agents of change, overcoming their suffering and showing broader communities how reconciliation can begin.
blogs.icrc.org

Reposted by Andrew Novak

Governor Murphy Surpasses 200 Total Grants of Clemency with Fourth Round of Clemency Actions
(via @govmurphy.bsky.social)
www.nj.gov/governor/new...
www.nj.gov
Dozens of athletes have joined rights groups in calling for the UEFA to suspend Israel due to rights abuses against Palestinians aje.io/dqkkar
More than 70 athletes call on UEFA to ban Israel over rights abuses
Paul Pogba and Hakim Ziyech join letter saying that venues should not welcome 'a regime that commits genocide'.
aje.io