A young girl carrying a teddy bear and waving a white flag, heads towards an army outpost in the Samah neighbourhood on the eastern outskirts of Mosul, away from the heavy fighting engulfing the city. Photo: UNHCR/Ivor Prickett

With Civilian Deaths Mounting in Mosul, Will the International Criminal Court Intervene?

April 3, 2017

The Battle of Mosul that began last October is becoming increasingly deadly for the civilians still trapped in the city. Recent reports of civilian casulaties have led to questions about the level of scrutiny potential targets are given before being attacked. Further afield, the growing death toll also raises questions about criminal accountability for these civilian deaths — both now and in the future.

Hamid Karzai and George W. Bush - Photo Credit: Paul Morse

The ICC May Prosecute Crimes in Afghanistan

November 21, 2016

A member of the court since 2003, there is ample evidence that serious crimes have been committed in Afghanistan by all sides of the conflict. But the prospect of opening a formal investigation there also means that US forces and officials could come under scrutiny by the ICC, a development that could have major ramifications for the court.

Jennilyn Olayres holds her partner alleged drug pusher Michael Siaron, a pedicab driver, who was shot and killed by unidentified riding in tandem suspects along LRT Pasay Rotonda, Edsa on July 23, 2016, via Instagram user raffylerma

What happens after the horrifically violent war on drugs in the Philippines ends?

November 1, 2016

It is understandable that policymakers would want to clamp down on drug use within the country. But after campaigning for tough reforms, the approach that Duterte and his government is taking has shocked people both inside and outside the country.

Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi at the opening of his trial © ICC-CPI

An historic first for the International Criminal Court

August 23, 2016

Yesterday saw the trial of Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi at the International Criminal Court for the intentional destruction of world heritage shrines in Timbuktu during the 2012 occupation of the city by the Islamic rebel group Ansar Dine. The trial marks two important milestones for the court: this is the first time a suspect plead guilty, and also the first case of cultural destruction as a war crime.

The Radovan Karadžić Verdict May Help Heal Old Wounds in Bosnia

March 24, 2016

More than 20 years after the Bosnian war ended, the International Criminal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) convicted Radovan Karadžić on 10 counts of genocide, crimes against humanity and violations of the customs of war. There are hopes that the verdict will serve as an important step for Bosnians to move on from a war that ended more than two decades ago.

Photo Credit: ICC-CPI/Armin Taslaman — Photo Credit: ICC-CPI/Armin Taslaman

Three Female Judges Just Made History By Convicting a Commander for Rape Committed by His Troops

March 21, 2016

Today the International Criminal Court reached an historic decision, finding former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba guilty of murder, rape and pillaging. This verdict marks the first ICC conviction for rape and gender based violence.

Refugees fleeing Kosovo in 1999 | Photo credit: UN Photo/R. LeMoyne — Refugees fleeing Kosovo in 1999 | Photo credit: UN Photo/R. LeMoyne

A Refugee Convention for the 21st Century

January 5, 2016

The decades old system of international laws and agreements intended to facilitate the safe and dignified processing of refugees is now clearly broken. Unless the international community substantially updates these policies to reflect the realities of the 21st century, the old system is bound to fold under the pressure.

Prosecuting ‘Jihadi John': International Criminal Court could try foreign fighters who join ISIS — but should they?

March 27, 2015

Gruesome beheading videos and online calls to join the caliphate have become hallmarks of the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham, intimidating its enemies and fuelling recruitment efforts. But the Western jihadis whose social media savvy has helped launch ISIS into the global spotlight could one day find themselves facing justice in the International Criminal Court thanks to a legal backdoor that would see their tweets and Facebook posts used against them.

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This Child Soldier Grew Up to Become a Hardened War Criminal. Should He Go to Jail?

January 9, 2015

News broke this week of the surrender of Dominic Ongwen, a top commander in the Lord’s Resistance Army, to US forces in the Central African Republic. One of the five LRA commanders indicted by the ICC in 2005, Ongwen is also the most controversial of the Uganda indictments. While his surrender deals a serious blow to the LRA, whether the LRA’s victims will see justice remains unclear. Ongwen was a child when he was abducted by the LRA and grew up to become a notorious killer. But what are the legal and moral implications of trying a man for crimes against humanity when that man was conscripted as a child?

The ICC's Rough December

December 19, 2014

It has been a rough month for the International Criminal Court. A week after deciding to withdraw the charges in the high profile case of Uhuru Kenyatta, the ICC’s Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda appeared before the UN Security Council to inform them that the court will be suspending investigations into atrocities committed in Darfur due to a lack of cooperation by the Sudanese government, ICC member states and the UN.