David Kaye
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davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye
@davidakaye.bsky.social
16K followers 980 following 650 posts

californian. human rights, free expression, tech, international law. uc irvine. fulbright. article 19. prior: UN special rapporteur, GNI chair.

edu coalition (dm for details)

go bears!

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David Kaye is an American politician who served as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression between August 2014 and July 2020, succeeded by Irene Khan. .. more

Law 28%
Political science 21%
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davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · Sep 3
👀 Jim Jordan held a House Judiciary Committee hearing on . . . how Europe censors Americans. Nigel Farage came along! Let's just say I have a slightly different view than them. My written and oral testimony are here: ijclinic.law.uci.edu/2025/09/03/h...

Here are my concluding paras:
last paragraph of testimony: "I urge this Committee to consider the real threat to Americans’ freedom of expression, the one here at home. I have noted a handful of areas where this administration is putting freedom of expression under direct attack. Where is the opposition, let alone outrage, given the attack not only on speakers – journalists, public media, professors, students, whistleblowers, civil servants – but on every American’s right of access to information about the issues important to our democracy and to our public’s health? That, I would respectfully submit, is the real threat to American speech and innovation, and I look forward to helping this Committee, in any way you see fit, work to address it."

Reposted by Ann Bartow

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 2h
is this actually happening? a blatantly illegal war of aggression?
Trump Declares Venezuelan Airspace Closed
www.nytimes.com

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 3h
there is no floor for this regime. here, using a government site to attack specific reporters and outlets.

Reposted by David H. Kaye, Robert C. Richards, Dana R. Fisher , and 1 more

kimlanelaw.bsky.social
Kim Lane Scheppele @kimlanelaw.bsky.social · 3h
Don't know whether this is new or has been up for awhile. Either way, when the White House creates a hit list of journalists it doesn't like, the free press is in danger. www.whitehouse.gov/mediabias/
Media Offenders
Explore the Media Bias Tracker that fact checks and holds Fake News accountable. False claims debunked, Hall of Shame for serial offenders, Leaderboard of networks ranked by Repeated Lies. Stay inform...
www.whitehouse.gov

Reposted by Ann Bartow

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 18h
@jacklgoldsmith.bsky.social has a good post on this
A Dishonorable Strike
Indulging all assumptions in favor of the administration’s boat strikes, killing helpless men is murder
www.execfunctions.org

Reposted by Ann Bartow

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 18h
there is a direct line from 2001/2002 - Cheney (gloves are off), Gonzales (Geneva Conventions are "quaint"), Yoo (Geneva doesn't apply to Afghanistan) - to today.

a very direct line and long-term rot on the right.
annabower.bsky.social Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 19h
“Should we follow the Geneva Conventions?” Pete Hegseth asked in 2024.

It’s almost as if there were signs!

bsky.app/profile/anna...

Reposted by David H. Kaye, David R. Miller

annabower.bsky.social
Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 19h
“Should we follow the Geneva Conventions?” Pete Hegseth asked in 2024.

It’s almost as if there were signs!

bsky.app/profile/anna...
We never got an answer. Only more war. More casualties. And no victory. Should we follow the Geneva Conventions? What if we treated the enemy the way they treated us? Would that not be an incentive for the other side to reconsider their barbarism? Hey, Al Qaeda: If you surrender, we might spare your life. If you do not, we will rip your arms off and feed them to hogs. Makes me wonder, in 2024—if you want to win—how can anyone write universal rules about killing other people in open conflict? Especially against enemies who fight like savages, disregarding human life in every single instance. Maybe, instead, we are just fighting with one hand behind our back—and the enemy knows it. This is a big reason there hasn't been a war

Reposted by David H. Kaye

klamberg.bsky.social
Mark Klamberg @klamberg.bsky.social · 19h
Beyond all other illegalities Hegseth's order to kill survivor's in the water is a crime which implicates all US personnel. If Hegseth's policy would be generally accepted, future US navy personnel shipwrecked would also become lawful targets.
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: Kill them all
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order to kill all crew members in the Sept. 2 strike on a suspected drug boat. Navy SEALs fired a second missile.
www.washingtonpost.com

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 20h
what hegseth describes is deeply criminal under international law and, before his tenure, accepted law for the US armed forces. we cannot let this go. it's not about policy difference. it's murder under the color of law.

Reposted by Bessma Momani, Ann Bartow

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 20h
para 2: not a legit basis for use of force. period.
para 4: almost certainly untrue.
bgrueskin.bsky.social Bill Grueskin @bgrueskin.bsky.social · 22h
This is a lot of words to say, “Yikes! That Washington Post story about us illegally killing survivors on the open seas was 100% correct!”
Post See new posts Conversation Secretary of War Pete Hegseth @SecWar As usual, the fake news is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to discredit our incredible warriors fighting to protect the homeland. As we’ve said from the beginning, and in every statement, these highly effective strikes are specifically intended to be “lethal, kinetic strikes.” The declared intent is to stop lethal drugs, destroy narco-boats, and kill the narco-terrorists who are poisoning the American people. Every trafficker we kill is affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization. The Biden administration preferred the kid gloves approach, allowing millions of people — including dangerous cartels and unvetted Afghans — to flood our communities with drugs and violence. The Trump administration has sealed the border and gone on offense against narco-terrorists. Biden coddled terrorists, we kill them. Our current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both U.S. and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict—and approved by the best military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command. Our warriors in SOUTHCOM put their lives on the line every day to protect the Homeland from narco-terrorists — and I will ALWAYS have their back. 6:42 PM · Nov 28, 2025 · 322.3K View

Reposted by Ann Bartow

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 21h
THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT. as @heidikitrosser.bsky.social has noted, the northwestern faculty had just voted overwhelmingly against exactly this kind of capitulation.
heidikitrosser.bsky.social Heidi Kitrosser @heidikitrosser.bsky.social · 2d
BTW, any story about a possible Northwestern capitulation should include this detail (screenshot is from the oped linked below)

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 21h
mike schill was, as far as i can tell, forced out as president of northwestern in september, after only three years in the job. it seems he navigated the past couple years really well, so well that ADL had targeted him, calling for his resignation. these don't seem unrelated.

Reposted by Michael W. Kraus, Daxton R. Stewart

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 21h
👀 when it comes to "harassment" and student protest, northwestern has given the trump administration what appears to be a veto over changes in policy: "Northwestern shall not revise or modify these policies and procedures without the consent of the Assistant Attorney General".

horrible.
heidikitrosser.bsky.social Heidi Kitrosser @heidikitrosser.bsky.social · 22h
You've heard of the Friday night news dump. Here's the Friday night of Thanksgiving wknd dump. For special circumstances, like when the faculty assembly votes 595-4 against paying to end a shakedown and you do it anyway. Link to agreement here: bulkmail.northwestern.edu/trk/click?re...
mattheweadie.bsky.social Matthew Eadie @mattheweadie.bsky.social · 22h
BREAKING: Northwestern University has agreed to pay the U.S. Treasury $75 million, over the course of three years as part of an agreement with the federal government to restore funding and end investigations into the university

Full statement from NU below:

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 22h
given how europe has acted, i doubt we'll get anything serious out of them. colombia/venezuela could make it uncomfortable for them though.

Reposted by Elizabeth Saunders, David H. Kaye, Aviel Roshwald

bgrueskin.bsky.social
Bill Grueskin @bgrueskin.bsky.social · 22h
This is a lot of words to say, “Yikes! That Washington Post story about us illegally killing survivors on the open seas was 100% correct!”
Post See new posts Conversation Secretary of War Pete Hegseth @SecWar As usual, the fake news is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to discredit our incredible warriors fighting to protect the homeland. As we’ve said from the beginning, and in every statement, these highly effective strikes are specifically intended to be “lethal, kinetic strikes.” The declared intent is to stop lethal drugs, destroy narco-boats, and kill the narco-terrorists who are poisoning the American people. Every trafficker we kill is affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization. The Biden administration preferred the kid gloves approach, allowing millions of people — including dangerous cartels and unvetted Afghans — to flood our communities with drugs and violence. The Trump administration has sealed the border and gone on offense against narco-terrorists. Biden coddled terrorists, we kill them. Our current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both U.S. and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict—and approved by the best military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command. Our warriors in SOUTHCOM put their lives on the line every day to protect the Homeland from narco-terrorists — and I will ALWAYS have their back. 6:42 PM · Nov 28, 2025 · 322.3K View

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 22h
awesome, thanks cathy i'll read it!

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 22h
the question may come down to politics rather than prosecution - will states be willing to use this to emphasize the int'l criminality of this administration? threaten consequences? they should b/c at a minimum the rome statute provides a baseline of principles for global order.

Reposted by Joanna Bryson, Anna O. Law, Kim L. Scheppele , and 11 more

heidikitrosser.bsky.social
Heidi Kitrosser @heidikitrosser.bsky.social · 22h
You've heard of the Friday night news dump. Here's the Friday night of Thanksgiving wknd dump. For special circumstances, like when the faculty assembly votes 595-4 against paying to end a shakedown and you do it anyway. Link to agreement here: bulkmail.northwestern.edu/trk/click?re...
mattheweadie.bsky.social Matthew Eadie @mattheweadie.bsky.social · 22h
BREAKING: Northwestern University has agreed to pay the U.S. Treasury $75 million, over the course of three years as part of an agreement with the federal government to restore funding and end investigations into the university

Full statement from NU below:

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 22h
i find the ICC/Hague references generally wishful thinking. but there are jurisdictional possibilities: targeting of a colombian-flagged or registered ship? crimes in/against venezuela? both states are parties to ICC. it's not crazy to imagine, even if actual arrests of hegseth et al are.
jjgass.bsky.social Innocent🕷Abroad @jjgass.bsky.social · 22h
A nice thing about joining ICC would be that Trump's pardon of Haegseth wouldn't prevent ICC prosecution (it wouldn't anyway, but jurisdiction & extradition would be problems while we're not a member).

Meanwhile, pardoning a war criminal is exactly why the ICC can prosecute when the state fails to.
jjgass.bsky.social Innocent🕷Abroad @jjgass.bsky.social · 1d
If the US were a member of the International Criminal Court, it still wouldn't prosecute Secretary of War Hagueseth if the United State itself prosecuted him.

We're not a member, but the same principle still applies.

We should do the right thing in either case.

Reposted by David H. Kaye

jjgass.bsky.social
Innocent🕷Abroad @jjgass.bsky.social · 22h
A nice thing about joining ICC would be that Trump's pardon of Haegseth wouldn't prevent ICC prosecution (it wouldn't anyway, but jurisdiction & extradition would be problems while we're not a member).

Meanwhile, pardoning a war criminal is exactly why the ICC can prosecute when the state fails to.
jjgass.bsky.social Innocent🕷Abroad @jjgass.bsky.social · 1d
If the US were a member of the International Criminal Court, it still wouldn't prosecute Secretary of War Hagueseth if the United State itself prosecuted him.

We're not a member, but the same principle still applies.

We should do the right thing in either case.

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 22h
we just have to recognize that the outrages and violence will ramp up. authoritarians don’t plateau. they consolidate, or try to, esp if there is no serious counter.

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 22h
lawlessness is the signature feature of the trump regime. the supreme court is useless as a brake and it will only get worse in the coming year(s) unless congress stops acquiescing in it.

Reposted by David H. Kaye, Ann Bartow

andycraig.bsky.social
Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 1d
Mass pardons are coming. There will be no accountability without treating those as null and void. And that means a future administration taking an official position that Trump is not the legitimate president right now because he is disqualified by the 14th Amendment. The two things are inextricable.

Reposted by David H. Kaye

economist.com
The Economist @economist.com · 1d
Even after taking a pummelling, not all of Iran’s leaders want a deal with the Great Satan
Don’t count on a reset in US-Iran relations, writes Dalia Dassa Kaye
Even after taking a pummelling, not all of Iran’s leaders want a deal with the Great Satan
econ.st

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 2d
enjoy the day like the dog below enjoyed his 17th century bone.

i wish i could thank every single person litigating, advocating, testifying, otw resisting this attack on our democracy. we will prevail b/c of you!
detail from Jan Steen, Marriage at Cana (1676), on view at one of the great american museums, the norton simon in pasadena

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, David H. Kaye

rondeibert.bsky.social
Ron Deibert @rondeibert.bsky.social · 2d
Politicized investigations against political enemies are a key feature of authoritarian systems

@reuters.com documented at least 470 targets of retribution under 🇺🇸 Trump’s leadership – from federal employees and prosecutors to universities and media outlets.

www.reuters.com/investigates...
Trump’s campaign of retribution: At least 470 targets and counting
A Reuters investigation documents at least 470 acts of retribution under Trump’s leadership.
www.reuters.com

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 2d
simply grotesque. unsurprising, playing to discrimination and ignorance as this wretched admin always does.
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 2d
It didn’t even take 6 hours.
USCIS @USCIS X.com Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols. The protections and safety of our homeland and of the American people remains our singular focus and mission. 10:04 PM • 11/26/25 • 2.1K Views

Reposted by Nandita Sharma, Brian A. Nosek, Steve Peers , and 8 more

reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 2d
It didn’t even take 6 hours.
USCIS @USCIS X.com Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols. The protections and safety of our homeland and of the American people remains our singular focus and mission. 10:04 PM • 11/26/25 • 2.1K Views

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, David H. Kaye, Michael Kevane , and 3 more

heidikitrosser.bsky.social
Heidi Kitrosser @heidikitrosser.bsky.social · 2d
BTW, any story about a possible Northwestern capitulation should include this detail (screenshot is from the oped linked below)
On Oct. 15, the Northwestern Faculty Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution opposing "any capitulation on the part of Northwestern University" to the Trump Administration's "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education" or to "similar demands that undermine constitutional rights, democratic principles, faculty governance, institutional autonomy, and academic freedom." The vote was 595 for the resolution, four against it and eight abstentions.

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 3d
when prosecutors are no longer lawyers for the people but for a would-be king, of course courts dismiss cases. but someday we'll have genuine accountability in this country, and history too will record how corruption & greed for power destroyed our democratic institutions and civic space.

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 3d
this?
Chris Cornell - "Nothing Compares 2 U" (Prince Cover) [Live @ SiriusXM] | Lithium
YouTube video by SiriusXM
www.youtube.com