International Law
Just Security offers expert analysis of international law and its role in addressing global challenges. Our coverage includes litigation in international and regional tribunals, the process of international law-making, analysis of compliance and accountability for international law violations–including international criminal justice, and challenges to the international legal order.
3,765 Articles
Cyber Attribution Problems—Not Just Who, but What
Yesterday, Bloomberg News reported that hackers, likely from Russia, caused a 2008 explosion on the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline in Turkey. According to Bloomberg, the…
Five Torturous Steps to Hell
In a short and early section of the SSCI’s redacted summary of its torture report, we can read about the step-by-step descent from humanity to inhumanity, from the 20th century…
Big News: US Closes Bagram Detention Facility
Big news out of Afghanistan—the United States has closed the detention facility at the Bagram Airfield. The last two prisoners were turned over to Afghan authorities on December…
A Guantánamo (Numerical) Milestone, and What It Means…
Although public and media attention has been, understandably, focused on this morning’s release of the SSCI Torture Report, another piece of national security-related news…
International Justice: Week in Review
As we all await the release of the executive summary of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence’s report on CIA torture, I’d like to offer a brief interlude to consider…
The Torture Convention & Appendix M of the Army Field Manual on Interrogations
We are on the eve of the release of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence’s report on the Central Intelligence Agency’s interrogation program. Although this report will…
Jaloud v. Netherlands: European Court of Human Rights addresses extra-territorial jurisdiction in Iraq
Last month, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights handed down its judgment in Jaloud v. the Netherlands (full text). The case arose out of the death of Azhar…
Int’l Criminal Court’s Examination of U.S. Treatment of Detainees Takes Shape
On Tuesday, the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court announced, in the most explicit and detailed terms to date, that the U.S. treatment of detainees captured in…
The Hidden Costs of Alabama’s Anti-Foreign Law Measure
On Election Day last month, Alabama became the ninth state to impose onerous restrictions on how its courts can consider and apply foreign and international law. Those concerned…
U.N. Committee Criticizes U.S. Record on Torture, Praises U.S. on Extraterritorial Reach of Treaty
On Friday, the United Nations Committee against Torture released its report (full text) on U.S. compliance with the Convention Against Torture. The Committee’s review included…
What is the Remedy for American Torture?
Asst. Sec. of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Tom Malinowski stated to the UN Committee on Torture two weeks ago that: A little more than ten years ago, our government…
The Global Reach of the U.S. Position on Torture
The U.S. government’s public pronouncement that the Convention Against Torture (CAT) applies beyond U.S. borders and in situations of armed conflict—its unequivocal “yes”…