International Justice

The International Criminal Court's (ICC) chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, holds a press conference during her visit to look into allegations of extreme violence on May 3, 2018 in Kinshasa.

Congress Must Reform Sanctions Law to Avoid ICC Penalties from Happening Again

Reversing the sanctions the Trump administration placed on International Criminal Court leaders is not enough to prevent something like that from happening again.

Apr. 13, 2021 Andrew Boyle

Secretary of State Blinken stands a podium in front of American flags.

Full Burial Now Needed for Executive Order Against International Criminal Court

"Executive Order 13928 requires a burial so deep, so final, that never again will the United States, nor any other country, deem it a permissible policy option."

Apr. 2, 2021 Diane Marie Amann

U.S. President Joe Biden, without a face mask, and U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, with a face mask, participate in a virtual meeting with leaders of Quadrilateral Security Dialogue countries March 12, 2021 at the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC.

Why Biden Needs to Rescind Trump’s ICC Sanctions Now

A deadline looms in the case challenging executive order 13928, which imposed sanctions against the ICC. Will the Biden administration defend the former administration’s reckless…

Mar. 31, 2021 James A. Goldston

The building and grounds of Germany’s Federal Court of Justice. There is a grassy lawn with a fountain, trees lining the sides, and the building itself is centered.

On Functional Immunity of Foreign Officials and Crimes under International Law

Landmark judgment by Germany’s top criminal court on foreign officials' lack of immunity in war crimes trials. Analysis by renowned scholar, Professor Claus Kress.

Mar. 31, 2021 Claus Kress

A crowded prison cell in the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakeh on October 26, 2019. Men accused of being affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) group sit and lay on the floor close together. There does not appear to be an empty floor space.

A Tribunal for ISIS Fighters – A National Security and Human Rights Emergency

There is an immediate need to triage a coordinated response to the ongoing detention of roughly 10,000 ISIS fighters and 60,000 women and children in northeast Syria.

Mar. 30, 2021 Roger Lu Phillips

A war memorial at Jaffna University before it was demolished, in Jaffna. The memorial is a statue of hands reaching toward the sky coming out of a pile of rubble.

UN Human Rights Council Outlines Sri Lanka Abuses, But Demurs on Action

It’s not the robust independent mechanism victims campaigned for, or the referral to the ICC that they deserve, but it is a potential path to justice.

Mar. 26, 2021 Kate Cronin-Furman

A Bosnian Muslim woman cries between graves of her father, two grandfathers and other close relatives, all victims of Srebrenica genocide, July 10, 2020, at the cemetery in Potocari near Srebrenica, Bosnia and Hercegovina.

Changing the Narrative on Atrocity Prevention

If the story about atrocity prevention could be reframed so as to categorize it as a “hard” national security objective, it might be possible to help move the issue of atrocity…

Mar. 19, 2021 Matthew Levinger

Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapakse and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, neither who wear face masks, are surrounded by others, many who wear face masks, as they leave the new cabinet swearing-in ceremony at the Buddhist Temple of the Tooth in the ancient hill capital of Kandy, some 116 km from Colombo on August 12, 2020.

When War Criminals Run the Government: Not Too Late for the International Community to Vet Sri Lankan Officials

Developing such a list of individuals would signal to survivors some measure of recognition of the atrocities they have suffered.

Mar. 16, 2021 Sondra Anton and Tyler Giannini

New Zealand Prime Minister Jim Bolger and Queen Elizabeth II, wearing a traditional Maori cloak of Kiwi feathers chat with Maori Queen Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu after the signing of the Tainui Settlement Bill at Government House in Wellington 03 November.

It’s Never Too Late to Say “I’m Sorry”: Sovereign Apologies Over the Years

What does it mean for a State to apologize for its harmful policies, violations, or mistakes? What distinguishes a genuine apology from a hollow one? An analysis and catalogue…

Mar. 16, 2021 Daniella Stoltz and Beth Van Schaack

A woman clad in mask due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, sits outside a tent near a water cistern at Camp Roj, housing family members of people accused to belong to the Islamic State (IS) group who were relocated from al-Hol camp, in the countryside near al-Malikiyah (Derik) in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province on September 30, 2020.

When Terrorists Traffic Their Recruits

A full reckoning with ISIS' exploitation requires overcoming politics to understand when someone might be at once a victim and a perpetrator.

Mar. 15, 2021 Jayne Huckerby

A person carrying a bag walks past a severely damaged building complex in Gaza City, which is missing walls and sections of ceiling. In one area where the walls remain, a person looking at the sky is painted on the wall. The ground appears wet as if it had just rained or is raining. The picture was taken on March 4, 2021, but the damage was caused in 2014 by airstrikes.

Decolonizing the ICC: The Situation in Palestine and Beyond

On Feb. 5, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber ruled that the ICC has jurisdiction over the Palestine situation. Here's why the apparently narrow and formalistic ruling offers hope for decolonizing…

Mar. 8, 2021 Aeyal Gross

Sri Lanka Army Commander Shavendra Silva reviewing troops headed to Mali as U.N. peacekeepers on Nov. 6, 2019, at the at the Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment (VIR) Headquarters at Boyagane, Sri Lanka.

UN Should Suspend Sri Lanka from Peacekeeping Over Human Rights Abuses

The government has failed in its international obligations to investigate and prosecute crimes, and has promoted alleged war criminals to high levels.

Mar. 5, 2021 Yasmin Sooka