Atrocities

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Two small children unload white bags off of a big white truck with a Red Crescent sign on the side, at dusk. A woman fully covered in a black chador stands next to the truck with her back to the camera.

Syria’s Al-Hol Camp Is Closed, But Another Remains, as Does International Responsibility

Responsible states can end the chaos and suffering in remaining camps like Roj by repatriating detainees and upholding their obligations to their citizens.
Three men wearing prostheses and a woman in a colorful long dress sit in a mostly empty room with bare floors and light coming from windows at the back.

Risk of Renewed War in Tigray: Painful Reminders From Ethiopia’s Last War Demand Action to Prevent Another

With the possibility of renewed fighting in Ethiopia's Tigray region, reminders of the toll and recommendations for the world to take preventive action.

Proving Genocide: Genocidal Intent and Other Aims

In Gambia v. Myanmar, genocidal intent coexists with other aims, revealed through conduct or official statements, showing how destruction of a group can serve broader goals.
People react as they gather close to a mass grave in the town of Bucha, just northwest of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on April 3, 2022.

Russia’s Eliminationist Rhetoric Against Ukraine: A Collection

Updating a tracker of persistent rhetoric by Russian leaders and their associates -- more than 500 examples -- that may constitute evidence of genocidal intent.
Local residents leave the city of Kostyantynivka alongside volunteers, walking beneath protective nets installed above the road to shield against Russian FPV drone attacks as evacuations continue along this frontline corridor in the Donetsk region on February 13, 2026 in Kostyantynivka frontline, Ukraine. (Photo by Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)

What Negotiators Miss in Ukraine Talks: Territorial Concessions Would Abandon Real People – and Fail to Bring Peace

U.S.-led talks float Ukrainian territorial concessions to Russia, but such deals would abandon real communities and entrench an unjust, fragile peace.
Protesters hold Iranian pre-Islamic revolution of 1979 flags in front of the United Nations office in Geneva​, Switzerland on February 17, 2026.

What the Current Crises Facing Iran Mean for Human Rights and Rules on the Use of Force

The human rights crisis in Iran reveals the limits of a legal system designed to restrain force even when restraint carries profound human costs.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) and Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset (R) speak at podiums in front of a light blue backdrop, next to the blue flag with a circle of gold stars that represents the European Union and the Council of Europe and the edge of a Ukrainian flag showing on the left edge of the image.

From Commitment to Action: The Next Steps in Holding Russia’s Leaders Accountable for the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine

The Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression in Ukraine is a step toward closing a longstanding gap in international criminal accountability.
Gavel and a globe

Governments Need to Disrupt the Business of War Crimes: And No, Sanctions Are Not Enough

If governments are serious about accountability for atrocities, they must start following the money and treating international crimes like the big business they are.
A bus in a US military convoy transporting Islamic State group detainees being transferred to Iraq from Syria moves along a road on the outskirts of Qahtaniyah in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province on February 7, 2026. Iraq's judiciary announced on February 2 that it had begun investigations into more than 1,300 Islamic State group detainees who were transferred from Syria as part of a US operation. (Photo by Delil SOULEIMAN / AFP via Getty Images)

A Legal Black Hole: Does Iraq Have the Right to Detain Prisoners Transferred from Syria?

The Global Coalition Against Daesh faces legal and moral strain over mass detainee transfers from Syria to Iraq, testing international law and policy.
View from outside a fenced area of a watchtower atop tall, solid walls behind barbed wire.

Forced Labor Fuels Unfair Trade: The U.S. Interest in Ending Abuses Against Uyghurs

Forced labor in China undermines American security and values. Strong U.S. enforcement of trade laws and supply chain standards can defend human rights and competitiveness.
The US Navy warship USS Sampson (DDG 102) docks at the Amador International Cruise Terminal in Panama City on September 02, 2025. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on September 1, 2025, that eight US military vessels with 1,200 missiles were targeting his country, which he declared to be in a state of "maximum readiness to defend" itself. (Photo by MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP via Getty Images)

Arbitrary Killings or War Crimes? Why It Matters How the U.S. Strikes in the Caribbean Are Categorized

Analysis of U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean and the legal consequences of classifying them as arbitrary killings or war crimes under international law.

The UN Cybercrime Convention – A Way to Bring Russia to (the International Court of) Justice?

The new U.N. Cybercrime Convention may create new avenues to hold Russia - and all states parties - accountable at the International Court of Justice.
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