Persona non grata can also apply to people who have not yet entered a country. In non-diplomatic language, referring to someone as persona non grata means that the person is not popular or accepted by others. [7] According to Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, a receiving State may “at any time and without giving reasons” declare any member of diplomatic personnel persona non grata. [1] A person so declared is considered unacceptable and is usually recalled to his or her country of origin. Otherwise, the receiving State may “refuse to recognize the person concerned as a member of the mission”. [2] A person can be declared persona non grata even before entering the country. [1] In 2016, Surjeet Singh, an Indian citizen, was declared persona non grata by the Pakistani government. This came shortly after the Indian government arrested a Pakistani diplomat prior to his deportation, in violation of the 1961 Vienna Convention. Therefore, this incident was due to the tense relations between the two States. This case led to his expulsion from the country. Persons other than diplomats may be declared persona non grata by a country.
[1] This maxim has developed in the field of diplomatic relations, and such a statement means that the foreign diplomat is not desirable in that country; He is not allowed to enter or continue to reside in a given country. Just as the principle of diplomatic immunity protects the sending State, this principle of persona non grata protects the interests of the receiving State. Such a declaration may be made either even before the diplomat arrives in the receiving State or after he has begun to perform his duties. Therefore, any declaration does not entail the expulsion of the diplomat, but if it does, it must be in accordance with article 41 of the 1961 Vienna Convention. These sample phrases are automatically selected from various online news sources to reflect the current use of the word “persona non grata”. The views expressed in the examples do not represent the views of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us your feedback. The name received diplomatic significance in 1961 in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
According to Article 9 of the treaty, a country may declare non grata any member of diplomatic personnel “at any time and without giving reasons”. In accordance with articles 41 and 42 of the Vienna Convention, mission personnel are protected from prosecution for violations of civil and criminal law, depending on their rank. Violations of these sections may result in the use of a persona non grata statement to penalize offending employees. It is also used to expel diplomats suspected of espionage, described as “activities incompatible with diplomatic status”[3][4] or an overt criminal act such as drug trafficking. The statement can also be a symbolic sign of discontent. [5] Selfies are prohibited on the red carpet; Harvey Weinstein is persona non grata at Cannes, but Lars von Trier is not. Although #MeToo remains a dominant theme, there are more women on the jury than in the competition. (08.05.2018) In diplomacy, a persona non grata (Latin: “unwelcome person”, plural: personae non gratae) is a status granted by a host country to foreign diplomats in order to deprive them of the protection of diplomatic immunity from arrest and other types of prosecution.
“Persona non grata.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/persona%20non%20grata. Retrieved 11 October 2022. In January, Somalia banned Nicholas Haysom, the head of the UN mission in the country, with a persona non grata declaration. He was also accused of interfering in internal affairs. Daniel Kriener, the German ambassador to Venezuela, has been declared persona non grata and has 48 hours to leave the South American country. What does that mean? DW explains. In the Philippines, local legislators in provinces, cities, and cities can declare certain individuals or groups, including non-diplomats and Filipino citizens, persona non grata to express negative feelings toward the person in question through a non-binding resolution. This could be a reaction to the person violating local ordinances or laws.
[8] This also happened in Spain. [9] For the second time in less than a year, Venezuela declared the country`s foreign ambassador persona non grata. The persona non grata declaration is the most damning form of censorship a country can grant to foreign diplomats when they are protected from arrest and other forms of prosecution under diplomatic immunity. Back when U.S. President Donald Trump was just a real estate mogul and reality TV star, he was declared persona non grata by the Panama City Council after declaring that the U.S. was “stupid” to “give the Panama Canal for free.” Latin expression meaning “undesirable person”. As a legal term, it refers to a State`s practice of barring a diplomat from entering as a diplomat or reprimanding a diplomat already residing in the country for conduct that does not correspond to the status of a diplomat. Dennis Horak, Canada`s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, was also declared persona non grata last August after calling for the release of a civilian activist detained by Saudi Arabia. State X sends a diplomat to State Y. By reason of a war or interruption of relations between States, or by reason of an offence committed by the diplomat, State X may make a declaration declaring the diplomat persona non grata (unwelcome) of its State.
Israel has declared Günter Grass, a German writer, poet and playwright who won the Nobel Prize in 1999, persona non grata in 2012 after portraying the country as a threat to world peace. Since countries declaring a persona non grata do not have to explain such an approach, the designations were assigned for a number of reasons. It`s not just diplomats who have been beaten with persona non grata status. Actor Brad Pitt was declared persona non grata by China after starring in the 1997 film “Seven Years in Tibet,” although the ban was lifted in 2014 when he accompanied his wife Angelina Jolie on a film tour. The explanation was used in a-for-tat transport, for example during the Cold War. Venezuela made the same statement last May to Todd Robinson, the U.S. ambassador to the country, and his deputy, Brian Naranjo, after the U.S. imposed sanctions. The UN says President Maduro is ordering security agencies to arrest and torture political opponents.
Abuses are also common in the South, where profits from gold mining have targeted indigenous peoples. A person declared as such may be removed from a diplomatic mission or may terminate his or her duties within the mission. If the listed person is not recalled, the country may refuse to recognize the person as part of the mission. In literal terms, the term is Latin for “an undesirable person.” The term in the diplomatic sense refers to a foreign person whose entry or stay in a particular country is prohibited by that country. In 2014, the Devyani Khobragade incident occurred; she was an Indian diplomat in New York. She was accused of providing false information to enter the country and committing visa fraud on her servant. Upon request, India refused to waive his immunity and charge the diplomat in court. Therefore, the United States applied this principle and declared her an undesirable diplomat, which led to her expulsion from the country. In 2009, Venezuela and Israel expelled their diplomats after an Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip. The United States and Ecuador had a similar exchange of expulsions after diplomatic cables were linked to the secret nonprofit organization WikiLeaks. Daniel Kriener, Germany`s ambassador to Venezuela, was the latest victim of the diplomatic designation. The government of President Nicolas Maduro told him on Wednesday that he had 48 hours to leave the South American nation after being accused of “interfering in the country`s internal affairs.” Germany has recognized Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president.
However, Oliver Pieper doubts that diplomatic pressure on Caracas is synonymous with change on the ground. (04.02.2019) The US has ended its dispute with the EU over diplomatic protocol, praising the bloc as “one of America`s most valuable partners.” The perceived snub had led to friction at the beginning of the year.