Murali's Writeups...

The legality of US sanctions against Iran – An introspection by an Indian   In 1979, I spent one month in Bangalore pursuing International Law studies under a renowned International Law scholar Prof. M.K. Nawaz. Iran was in the news every day. At that time, Iran was an economically powerful country under the questionable leadership of the Shah of Iran.  Ayotalla Khomeini was leading the Islamic revolution in Iran. Bangalore at that time was full of Iranian students because the Iranian government doled out generous scholarships for their young citizens to pursue the education of their choice in foreign countries. So, the prevailing crisis than in Iran spilled over in India, especially in Bangalore. The Iranian student community in Bangalore was naturally influenced by the happenings in Iran. They fought amongst themselves in Bangalore resulting in police cases. Some Bangalore criminal lawyers made big money from these fights.   Soon thereafter, I received a grant from USICA

MURDER OF JAMAL KHASHOGGI - The Beginning of a New Regime Relating to Sovereign Immunity and Economic Sanctions? The ghastly murder of the Saudi National, Turkish and US resident Mr. Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate Office in Istanbul, Turkey has opened the Pandora’s Box. Diplomatic and consular immunity is among one of the first principles of Customary International Law to evolve and probably acquire the status of Jus Cogens . These principles were codified in two conventions- namely, The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic conditions, 1961, and the Vienna Convention of Consular Relations, 1963. Subsequently, the concept of Diplomatic immunity was also extended to employees of International Organizations. Mr. Khashoggi was one of the well-known faces in the Saudi Arabian Political landscape. He held important positions in the Saudi Foreign Affairs Ministry, and later became a critic of the Saudi monarchy and the royal family coterie. In fact, he went to the Saudi Consulate