Civil Liberties

Naija Raufi in a dark dress and a floral hijab stands at a balcony railing, overlooking the low- to medium-rise urban landscape of Athens, her back to the camera, alongside a young girl in a pink dress and pony tails in her dark hair.

I Was Afghanistan’s Attorney General. Here Is What Justice Looked Like — and What Destroyed It.

Afghanistan’s justice system took 20 years to build and 11 days to destroy. Former Attorney General Mohammad Farid Hamidi outlines the ongoing fight for accountability.

May 27, 2026 Mohammad Farid Hamidi

People walk in front of a large concrete and glass building with large columns and windows lit up under a darkened sky, maybe dusk or dawn. Four flags fly from the top of the building, at least two of them the flags of Poland, the others in shadow.

Planning for America’s Democratic Renewal Must Start Now: Lessons from Poland

Poland’s recovery from democratic backsliding shows how hard the process can be -- and why U.S. reformers should start planning now for lawful, durable renewal.

May 26, 2026 Mieczysław (Mietek) Boduszyński and Laura Thornton

Transnational Repression and the Case for International Criminal Accountability

International criminal law should be applied to transnational repression. The tools to do so may already exist.

May 12, 2026 Brandon Silver and Kate McInnes

The three officials sit next to each other at desks behind a solid, dark wood panel , with the flags of the EU, Hungary and Budapest arrayed behind them, and members of the press facing them in the foreground, some of them wearing headsets and one holding a mobile phone at the end of a selfie stick, recording the briefing.

What American Mayors Can Learn From Budapest

Amid democratic backsliding, Hungary's mayors helped maintain people's trust in government, demonstrating how local leaders can help reweave torn social fabric.

May 11, 2026 Nina Hachigian

Four men, one in civilian clothes and the others in uniforms of khaki pants, olive shirts and berets, stand and sit on plastic chairs at the left of the image next to a broad concrete stairway on the right, leading to a green-painted double wooden doorway at the top of the stairs. The mostly white building is trimmed in green and tan.

International Crimes and Human Rights Violations Against Muslims in BJP-Ruled Indian States Require Urgent Action

The international community must redouble efforts to press Indian authorities for accountability in growing violence and rights abuses against Muslims.

May 4, 2026 Ambassador Stephen J. Rapp

People sit, their backs to the camera, in a large hall, watching a large TV screen on a platform that shows Ongwen's face. Two illegible banners hang on stands to the right of the screen. Two windows behind the platform are covered to shade the brightness and ease viewing of the television.

How to Acknowledge Forced Marriage as a Standalone Crime in the Draft Crimes Against Humanity Treaty

Adding forced marriage to the draft Crimes Against Humanity Convention would codify a distinct international crime, reflect its severe harms, and improve legal clarity.

May 1, 2026 Natalia Seco García and Valerie Oosterveld

A column of black smoke rises above buildings as traffic, mostly motorcycles, pass in the foreground.

Insurgent Offensive in Mali Exposes the Deficiencies of Junta-led Security in the Sahel

Recent militant attacks that killed Mali's defense minister challenge the proposition of the region's juntas that Russia could be a better security partner than the West.

Apr. 30, 2026 Lesley Anne Warner

Collage of featured images from articles in the collection.

Collection: ICE and CBP Operations in Minnesota and Other States

Following two civilian deaths in ICE raids in Minneapolis, protests and legal concerns mount. This collection examines the law, facts, and calls for accountability.

Apr. 28, 2026 Just Security

Large posters of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti are pasted to the wall of a building and label them “American Mom” and “ICU Nurse.”

Apply the Minnesota Protocol to ICE’s Summary Executions

The Minnesota Protocol frames these killings for what they are: violations of the right to life due to excessive use of force by law enforcement officials during protests.

Apr. 27, 2026 Todd Howland

Fool’s Gold: Speaker Johnson’s Section 702 proposal would place no limits on backdoor searches

"Members can recognize the Johnson proposal for what it is: a transparent attempt to preserve the status quo rather than answer the bipartisan calls for needed reform."

Apr. 26, 2026 Elizabeth Goitein and Hannah James

Women, men, and children, some dressed in colorful traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirts, some draped in or flying blue and yellow Ukrainian flags and one draped in an Australian flag, hold stuffed animals as they stand next to each other facing the camera, against a backdrop with a big, leafy tree in the back left and a cityscape of mid-rise buildings in the background.

Ukrainian Children Under Russian Control: Why Tracing, Return, Reintegration, and Justice Must Be Addressed Together

Return alone cannot be the only framework through which the international community and Ukrainian authorities address the issue of Ukrainian children under Russian control.

Apr. 23, 2026 Kateryna Rashevska

Protesters clash with riot police during an opposition rally on the day of local elections in central Tbilisi on October 4, 2025. (Photo by GIORGI ARJEVANIDZE/AFP via Getty Images)

The Fatal Flaws in Georgia’s National Police Modernization

Georgia’s police reform reduced corruption and modernized policing, but it left law enforcement vulnerable to executive control, raising deeper concerns about autonomy.

Apr. 22, 2026 Giorgi Meladze and Tamar Gamkrelidze