Heine Weighs In on Embassy Attacks
In a April 13, 2024 interview on CBS News, Ambassador Jorge Heine, Research Professor at Boston University’s Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies and Interim Director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, shared his perspective on the concerning attacks on embassies that contravene diplomatic immunity and international law.
Heine criticized the muted response from countries claiming to uphold the rules-based order after an airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, alleged to be carried out by Israel, and the raid by Ecuadorian police on the Mexican embassy to arrest a former vice president seeking asylum.
“It seems to me here within minutes of your only two days, we have two liberal democracies, disregarding their most basic, you know, laws of, you know, diplomatic immunity, and that it seems to me is very worrisome,” Heine stated.
He emphasized the long-standing importance of protections for embassies and diplomats, tracing back to early human civilization. Heine expressed concern about the potential ripple effects, saying, “It seems to me that we need a firm statement in that regard. Otherwise, it seems to me we’re down a very, very rough road.”
The international law expert called for a clear reaffirmation from the International Court of Justice on the inviolability of diplomatic premises, viewing the Mexican government’s case against Ecuador as an opportunity to address the dangerous precedent set by these attacks.
The full interview can be accessed here.
Ambassador Jorge Heine is a Research Professor at the Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University. He has served as ambassador of Chile to China (2014-2017), to India (2003-2007), and to South Africa (1994-1999), and as a Cabinet Minister in the Chilean Government. Read more about Ambassador Heine on his Pardee School faculty profile.