International Law
513 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…

The US Needs a New International Strategy for Cyberspace
Editors’ Note: The following post is the latest installment of our weekly feature, “Monday Reflections,” in which a different Just Security editor will take an in-depth…

Takeaways from the House Intelligence Committee Cybersecurity Hearing
On Thursday morning, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence held a hearing on “Cybersecurity Threats: The Way Forward,” featuring testimony by Adm. Michael Rogers,…

UN HRC’s General Comment 35 on the Right To Liberty and Security: A Missed Opportunity?
On October 28, the UN Human Rights Committee adopted General Comment No. 35 (GC) on Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the right to…

America’s “Unequivocal Yes” to the Torture Ban
Last week in Geneva, the U.S. delegation appeared before the Committee Against Torture and announced important changes to the U.S. government’s legal position regarding the…

Does International Law Matter?
Editors’ Note: The following post is the ninth installment of a new feature, “Monday Reflections,” in which a different Just Security editor will take an in-depth look…

UN Panel: Blackwater Convictions are the “Exception, not the Rule”
Last week’s Blackwater convictions highlight an urgent need for an international treaty ensuring that private security contractors are held accountable if they commit human rights…

An Obligation to Prevent Rebel Groups from Committing Atrocities
It’s no secret that several nations (including the United States) are arming or otherwise supporting rebel groups in Syria, and that Russia is doing the same in eastern Ukraine.…

International Agreements—and Disagreements—on Cybersecurity
Russian media report here and here that Russia and China are preparing to sign a cybersecurity treaty when Vladimir Putin visits China on November 10. The reported agreement would…

Reflections on Hassan v UK: A Mixed Bag on the Right to Liberty (Part 1)
A few weeks ago, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (GC) gave judgment in Hassan v UK . The GC found that the British government did not violate Tarek…

Obama’s ISIL Legal Rollout: Bungled, Clearly. But Illegal? Really?
Editors’ Note: The following post is the fourth installment of a new feature, “Monday Reflections,” in which a different Just Security editor will take a…

Towards a Global Debate? UN Human Rights Council Takes on Drones
On Monday, the UN Human Rights Council’s (HRC) expert panel on the use of armed drones and international law, expressed clear consensus around the need for greater transparency…