ICC Prosecutor

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

People gather at a candle-light vigil on March 04, 2021 in Bangkok, Thailand, for anti-coup protesters who have been killed in Myanmar following the military coup on February 1st. They carry flowers, candles, and flags and banners.

National Security This Week at the United Nations (Feb 26-March 5)

Myanmar coup may be on Security Council agenda; ICC opens investigation on Palestine; COVAX delivers vaccine in Africa; and more in the weekly roundup.

Mar. 5, 2021 Sruthi Venkatachalam

People gather to watch the verdict of Dominic Ongwen, a former child soldier-turned-commander for the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), on a projector screen in Gulu, Uganda, on February 4, 2021.

Truth, Justice, and the Narrative in International Criminal Law

International courts are inherently expressive: they provide a platform for a multitude of narratives. But recently, some prosecutorial narratives have begun to dominate in International…

Mar. 2, 2021 Steven Kay

The International Criminal Court on January 18, 2019.

Balancing the US Approach to the ICC

As the Biden administration develops a new direction in American foreign policy, the ICC is also charting a new institutional course.

Feb. 10, 2021 Brian L. Cox

International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and deputy prosecutor James Stewart attend the initial appearance before judges of member of the board of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona of the Central African Republic, at the ICC in The Hague on January 25, 2019, following his extradition from France on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The Biden Administration Should Engage with the ICC – the Evidence Shows That It Saves Lives

The ICC’s success is not determined by number of indictments or convictions but by its effect on the world - and the empirical evidence shows that the ICC reduces violations…

Jan. 28, 2021 Stuart Ford

Antony Blinken at his confirmation hearing to be Secretary of State before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on January 19, 2021 in Washington, DC.

U.S.-ICC Relations Under a Biden Administration: Room to Be Bold

The Trump administration approached the ICC with open and unproductive hostility. Can Biden reset relations? Kip Hale says yes: first, remove sanctions. Second, investigate and…

Jan. 22, 2021 Christopher "Kip" Hale

International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and deputy prosecutor James Stewart speak with another prosecutor during the initial appearance of Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona of the Central African Republic, at the ICC in The Hague on January 25, 2019, following his extradition from France on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

ICC Associates Win Temporary Reprieve from Draconian US Sanctions

A judge granted a preliminary injunction in a case challenging the Trump administration’s sanctions against court personnel and others.

Jan. 5, 2021 Andrew Boyle

Yazidi women hold up pictures of missed relatives during a commemoration ceremony in Stuttgart, southern Germany, on August 3, 2019.

Beyond the ICC: Repositioning the Core of International Accountability

For the survivors of atrocities, justice may mean something very different from the remote procedures of the ICC. How can international systems of accountability center local justice?

Dec. 16, 2020 David Matyas, Payam Akhavan and 2 more

Exterior View of the International Criminal Court building in The Hague.

Part III: What Kinds of Situations and Cases Should the ICC Pursue? The Independent Expert Review of the ICC and the Question of Aperture

The third and final part of this series examines two additional factors that have widened the ICC's aperture, cautions that narrowing the Court's aperture may not always be desirable,…

Dec. 2, 2020 Todd Buchwald

Part II: What Kinds of Situations and Cases Should the ICC Pursue? The Independent Expert Review of the ICC and the Question of Aperture

What does it mean in practice for the ICC to be a court of last resort? How should the Office of the Prosecutor assess whether there have been genuine national efforts at accountability,…

Dec. 1, 2020 Todd Buchwald

Part I: What Kinds of Situations and Cases Should the ICC Pursue? The Independent Expert Review of the ICC and the Question of Aperture

This is the first of a three-part series regarding the ICC’s Independent Expert Review, the crossroads at which the ICC finds itself, and issues that lie ahead for the Court

Nov. 30, 2020 Todd Buchwald

The International Criminal Court's prosecutor Fatou Bensouda gives a press conference in Sudan's capital Khartoum on October 20, 2020, at the conclusion of her five-day visit to the country.

National Security This Week at the United Nations (Oct 30-Nov 6)

“Unwavering Support” for ICC Amid U.S. Sanctions 72 countries at the U.N. on Monday offered their “unwavering support” for the International Criminal Court…

Nov. 6, 2020 Lyes Jalali