International Criminal Law

Residents obtain water from a natural source from the hill El Avila after the water supply was suspended following a nationwide blackout occurred March 10, 2019 in Caracas, Venezuela.

How to Hold Venezuela’s Maduro Accountable for Human Rights Abuses

The Trump administration's focus on the regime’s corruption, manipulation of the election process, and narco-terrorism omits other egregious violations.

Apr. 28, 2020 Gissou Nia and Rodrigo Diamanti

David Addington, Chief of Staff and former counsel to Vice President Dick Cheney, former Department of Justice official John Yoo and Chris Schroeder, former acting assistant Attorney General in charge of the Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel testify before the House Judiciary committee during a hearing on the administration's interrogation policy on June 26, 2008 in Washington, DC.

ICC Afghanistan Torture Investigation Likely to Turn on Criminal Intent

Good-faith reliance on advice of counsel is a well-established defense in U.S. criminal law, but it has not yet been tested at the ICC.

Apr. 15, 2020 Peter Robinson

Is Pompeo Unintentionally Helping Out the International Criminal Court?

While likely doing little to dissuade those at the ICC and elsewhere who are committed to seeking accountability for the United States’ previous rendition and torture program,…

Mar. 25, 2020 Randle DeFalco

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at a press conference at the State Department in Washington DC, on March 17, 2020.

Former Officials Challenge Pompeo’s Threats to the International Criminal Court

A statement by former U.S. Ambassadors for War Crimes and U.S. Chief Prosecutors.

Mar. 18, 2020 Todd Buchwald, David M. Crane and 4 more

Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) hearing to receive oral arguments in the appeals of victims and of the Prosecutor against Pre-Trial Chamber II's "Decision Pursuant to Article 15 of the Rome Statute on the Authorisation of an Investigation into the Situation in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan". The Appeals Chamber in this appeal is composed of Judge Piotr Hofmański, Presiding judge, Judge Howard Morrison, Judge Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza, Judge Solomy Balungi Bossa and Judge Kimberly Prost. December 4, 2019

The “Interests of Justice” at the ICC: A Continuing Mystery

David Luban explains how the ICC Appeals Chamber missed an opportunity to clarify what "interests of justice" the Prosecutor must consider in authorizing an investigation in the…

Mar. 17, 2020 David Luban

Int’l Criminal Court’s Afghanistan Decision Expands Prosecutor’s Power: What to Expect Next

The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) authorized a formal investigation into alleged crimes committed during the war in Afghanistan on Thursday, overturning…

Mar. 6, 2020 Randle DeFalco

An explosion caused by Russian airstrikes on the village of al-Bara in the southern part of Syria's northwestern province of Idlib on March 5, 2020.

National Security at the United Nations This Week (Feb. 29 to Mar. 6)

Editor’s Note: This is the latest in Just Security’s weekly series keeping readers up to date on developments at the United Nations at the intersection of national security,…

Mar. 6, 2020 Randi Michel

Villagers of Akon, in the Bahr El Ghazal district of Southern Sudan, leave for their homes after receiving food from the World Food Programme 11 May, as a dust storm sweeps through.

National Security at the United Nations This Week (Feb 22-28)

Editor’s Note: This is the latest in Just Security’s weekly series keeping readers up to date on developments at the United Nations at the intersection of national security,…

Feb. 28, 2020 Jared LeBrun

Exterior View of the new International Criminal Court building in The Hague on July 30, 2016 in The Hague The Netherlands.

No “State”-ing the Obvious for Palestine: Challenging the ICC Prosecutor on Territorial Jurisdiction

The judges have been tossed the hot statehood potato in a situation where neither the factual circumstances nor legal issues are sufficiently clear.

Feb. 27, 2020 Jeremie Bracka

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir attends a meeting with his new 20-member cabinet as they take oath at the presidential palace in the capital on March 14, 2019.

Head of State Immunity is Too Important for the International Court of Justice

If the United Nations General Assembly, or another competent U.N. organ, simply requests an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice, then its member States would…

Feb. 24, 2020 Adil Ahmad Haque

Sudanese protesters wait at a train station in Khartoum to board a train to Atbara on December 19, 2019 to celebrate the one-year anniversary of their protest movement that brought down Omar al-Bashir last April after a thirty-year rule.

Sudan Takes Two Big Steps toward Normalizing Relations: USS Cole and Bashir

Sudan’s transitional government took two significant steps toward improving its international standing and normalizing relations with the United States by first agreeing for…

Feb. 21, 2020 John Hursh

Demonstrators holds up placards and banners while demonstrating, asking for Yahya Jammeh, the former President of the Gambia, to be brought to justice, in Banjul on January 25, 2020. One of the signs says, "No Place for Enforced Disappearance in Gambia."

Senators Call for Prosecution of Gambian Paramilitary Fighter in US Custody

Rare opportunity to criminally prosecute a person implicated in extremely grave human rights abuses in a U.S. court.

Feb. 21, 2020 Randle DeFalco