Crimes Against Humanity
385 Articles
Syria, Chemical Weapons, and a Qualitative Threshold for Humanitarian Intervention
An improved legal framework using a qualitative threshold—legitimizing humanitarian intervention against regimes that use chemical and biological weapons (CBW) on civilians—can…
UN Releases Guidelines for Team Investigating ISIS Crimes in Iraq
Back in September, we covered the establishment by the U.N. Security Council of a novel "Investigative Team" to investigate international crimes (genocide, crimes against humanity…
Crime of Aggression Activated at the ICC: Does it Matter?
The International Criminal Court’s Assembly of States Parties agreed late last week that the ICC can now prosecute crimes of aggression, making it the fourth crime (after war…
The Long Arm of Justice: Ratko Mladić’s Conviction Should Keep Perpetrators of Atrocities Awake at Night
Today Ratko Mladić, the former Bosnian Serb General, was convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for genocide, crimes against humanity…
Mohammed Jabbateh Conviction: A Human Rights Trial Cloaked in Immigration Crimes
On Oct. 18, a U.S. federal jury issued the first criminal conviction involving mass atrocities committed during Liberia’s First Civil War in the 1990s by a ULIMO rebel commander.…
Important New Bipartisan Bill To Advance Accountability for International Crimes in Syria
Following on the heels of last week’s chemical weapon attack in Syria, Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Bob Corker (R-TN), Bob Menendez…
Understanding Complicity: When the US Makes a “Substantial Contribution” to War Crimes Committed by Foreign Partners
With power comes responsibility. In their new duties, Trump administration officials will need to consider the legal hazards associated with supporting foreign military partners…
Atrocities Prevention Experts Report Released with Concrete Recommendations for the Next Administration
I have been honored to serve on a bipartisan Experts Committee on Preventing Mass Violence—convened by a coalition of human rights, religious, humanitarian, and peace organizations—for…
From Brexit to African ICC Exit: A Dangerous Trend
Burundi, South Africa, and the Gambia are not violating international law merely by announcing their withdrawal from the Rome Statute that created the International Criminal Court.…
De Facto and De Jure Non-International Armed Conflicts: Is It Time to Topple Tadić?
When does violence between a state and non-state actor constitute an armed conflict and thus trigger the system of legal rules that apply in non-international armed conflict (NIAC)?…
It is Time for the ICC to open a Preliminary Examination in the Philippines
The appalling announcement of President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines that he would like “to slaughter” three million drug addicts in his country, much as “Hitler massacred…
US Responsibility Arising From Russian Violations of the Law of Armed Conflict
Ryan Goodman raised a great question yesterday about the US-Russia deal on Syria: may the United States coordinate military operations with Russia if Russia is highly likely to…