Legal Definitions - retorsion

In international law, retorsion refers to a lawful but unfriendly act taken by one nation in response to a similarly unfriendly or unfair act by another nation. The key characteristic of retorsion is that the responding nation's action, while intended to retaliate or express displeasure, does not violate any international law or treaty obligations. It is essentially a tit-for-tat measure where both the initial act and the response are within the bounds of what is legally permissible, even if they are diplomatically unwelcome.

• Imagine Country A imposes new, significantly increased visa application fees and processing times specifically for citizens of Country B, citing administrative burdens. In response, Country B implements identical new visa application fees and extended processing times for citizens of Country A. This is a form of retorsion because Country B is legally entitled to set its own visa policies, and its action mirrors the unfriendly nature of Country A's initial move without violating any international agreements.

• Suppose Country X unilaterally withdraws from a non-binding scientific research cooperation agreement with Country Y, without providing a clear justification. Feeling slighted, Country Y then decides to cancel a planned joint cultural festival that was to be hosted in Country X. Since both the initial agreement and the cultural festival were non-binding and their cancellation does not breach any international legal obligations, Country Y's cancellation constitutes retorsion, as it is a lawful response to an unfriendly act.

• Consider a situation where Country P's state-owned media begins broadcasting a series of critical reports about the economic policies of Country Q, portraying them in a negative light. In response, Country Q's state-owned media initiates its own series of critical reports, focusing on social issues within Country P. As both countries have the sovereign right to control their state media and freedom of expression (within their own legal frameworks), Country Q's media response, though clearly retaliatory and unfriendly, falls under retorsion because it does not violate international law.