International Humanitarian Law (IHL)

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Targeted Killing of General Soleimani: Why the Laws of War Should Apply, and Why it Matters

In her thought provoking and thorough piece, Agnes Callamard addresses – among many other issues – the question whether the US strike against General Qassem Soleimani was subject…
Heavy smoke billows following an airstrike on the western frontline of Raqa on July 17, 2017, during an offensive by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, a majority Kurdish and Arab alliance, to retake the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters.

Civilian Casualties: A Case for U.S. Condolence Payments in Syria

The U.S. military acknowledges it unintentionally killed 40 civilians in a 2017 air strike, but rejects appeals to help those who survived.
The damaged interior of the hospital in which the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) medical charity operated is seen on October 13, 2015 following an air strike in the northern city of Kunduz.

Congress Expands Oversight of U.S. Payments for Civilian Deaths

The payments are among the only ways the U.S. military acknowledges and responds to civilian deaths or injuries in its operations, and previous reporting exposed significant gaps…
A soldier sits in an U.S. Army helicopter as it flies outside of Camp Shorab on a flight to Camp Post on September 11, 2017 at Camp Shorab in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Hidden Gems: Civilian Casualties and Use of Force Reporting Provisions in the Annual Defense Bill

For all the ways that the NDAA falls short on various human rights issues, there are some bright spots that should not be overlooked.
An aerial view of the Israeli settlement of Efrat near the Palestinian city of Bethlehem south of Jerusalem, in the occupied West Bank on November 19, 2019.

Assessing the New U.S. “View” on the Legality of Israeli Settlements in the West Bank

In his remarks to the press yesterday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the following with respect to the settlement of Israeli civilians in the West Bank.  I’ve highlighted…
Sri Lankan Defence Ministry Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa rides in a jeep during a Victory Day parade rehearsal in Colombo on May 17, 2013. Military personnel in uniform surround him.

Suit Against Sri Lankan Presidential Candidate Rajapaksa Dismissed on Common Law Immunity Grounds

Among other deficiencies, the ruling failed to acknowledge jurisprudence from other courts indicating that jus cogens violations can never constitute “official” acts entitling…
The Netherlands' Minister of Foreign Affairs Stef Blok speaks during a debate about Socialist Party (SP) party chairman Murat Memis at the Senate, in The Hague, on December 26, 2019.

The Netherlands Releases a Tour de Force on International Law in Cyberspace: Analysis

The Dutch make a major contribution to interpretation and application of international law in cyberspace with careful legal analysis on topics ranging from sovereignty to the use…
Supporters of former secretary to the ministry of defence and presidential candidate, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, celebrate outside Sri Lanka's Court of Appeal in Colombo on October 4, 2019, after a petition challenging his Sri Lankan nationality was taken to court and then dismissed.

Sri Lankan War Criminal Gotabaya Rajapaksa May Escape Accountability Yet Again, This Time by Running for President

Recent developments in a pair of human rights cases in U.S. federal court against former Sri Lankan Defense Minister and current presidential hopeful Gotabaya (“Gota”) Rajapakse…
Binary code lit up in blue lights

An Overview of International Humanitarian Law in France’s New Cyber Document

France's positions explained - with translations of key text - on important issues like the meaning of "attack" and the application of the principles of distinction and proportionality…
US soldiers aim their guns during a ceremony on the outskirts of Kabul on March 15, 2012.

Do Moral Judgments of War Support the Principle of Combatant Equality?: What Empirical Studies Tells Us

Are our moral intuitions about war in line with the crucial principle of combatant equality in the law of armed conflict? A moral psychology study begins mapping out and explaining…
A Saudi female journalist films damage at a market for vehicles on August 27, 2016 in the Saudi border city of Najran, a week after it was struck by a rocket fired from Yemen.

The Yemen Project: Open Source Investigations and the Law of War

An unprecedented open source investigation aids the legal analysis of allegedly unlawful strikes by the Saudi-led coalition, but also has limits in reaching legal conclusions under…
Map of the Middle East with Saudi Arabia in focus with bullets draped across

Yemen Group of Experts’ Report Highlights Need to Halt Arms Sales

The UN Group of Experts’ report on Yemen shows that the U.S (and its allies) have helped create a humanitarian disaster in Yemen and have a duty to help end it, starting by immediately…
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