Author Archives: Mark Kersten

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About Mark Kersten

Mark Kersten is an Assistant Professor in the Criminology and Criminal Justice Department at the University of the Fraser Valley in British Columbia, Canada, and a Senior Consultant at the Wayamo Foundation in Berlin, Germany. Mark is the founder of the blog Justice in Conflict and author of the book, published by Oxford University Press, by the same name. He holds an MSc and PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics and a BA (Hons) from the University of Guelph. Mark has previously been a Research Associate at the Refugee Law Project in Uganda, and as researcher at Justice Africa and Lawyers for Justice in Libya in London. He has taught courses on genocide studies, the politics of international law, transitional justice, diplomacy, and conflict and peace studies at the London School of Economics, SOAS, and University of Toronto. Mark’s research has appeared in numerous academic fora as well as in media publications such as The Globe and Mail, Al Jazeera, BBC, Foreign Policy, the CBC, Toronto Star, and The Washington Post. He has a passion for gardening, reading, hockey (on ice), date nights, late nights, Lego, and creating time for loved ones.

On the far-reaching relevance of Holá’s and Drumbl’s Study of Informers from Cold War Czechoslovakia

The following is a contribution from Novak Vučo and Vladimir Petrović to JiC’s ongoing symposium on Mark Drumbl and Barbora Holá’s new book, Informers up Close. Vladimir is a Research Professor at Institute for Contemporary History Belgrade and a researcher … Continue reading

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Victims who Victimize – Understanding Informers

The following is Irit Dekel‘s contribution to JiC’s ongoing symposium on Mark Drumbl and Barbora Holá’s new book, Informers Up Close. Irit is an Assistant Professor of Germanic Studies and Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies at Indiana University, Bloomington. To … Continue reading

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The Politics of Ambivalence: Revisiting the Communist Past with Drumbl and Holá

The following contribution to JiC’s ongoing symposium on Informers Up Close comes from Patryk I. Labuda. Patryk is an assistant professor of international law and international relations at Central European University in Vienna and a researcher on the ‘Memocracy’ project at the Polish … Continue reading

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Rethinking Informers in transitional justice in liberal times

The following is a contribution by Jean Chrysostome K. Kiyala to JiC’s ongoing symposium on Mark Drumbl and Barbora Holá’s new book, Informers Up Close. Dr. Kiyala is a Senior Lecturer at the International Centre of Nonviolence, in the Faculty … Continue reading

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As the past repeats we see the ‘other’ in us all – A review of Informers Up Close

The following contribution to Justice in Conflict’s ongoing symposium was written by Emma J Breeze, Assistant Professor in international criminal law and international humanitarian law at the University of Birmingham. For all of the other submissions, please see here. Mark … Continue reading

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Disguise, Blur, Purr, and Nakedness: Mark Drumbl and Barbora Holá on Informers Up Close: Stories from Communist Prague

The following introductory post was written by Mark Drumbl and Barbora Holá, authors of the book Informers Up Close, the subject of JiC’s ongoing symposium. For all other contributions, please see here. You can’t hide your lyin’ eyes And your … Continue reading

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Introduction – A JiC Symposium on Mark Drumbl and Barbora Holá’s Informers Up Close

In a course that I run on responses to international crimes, I paint my students the following scenario: Canada is taken over by a brutal dictatorship that suppresses human rights. The regime lasts for twenty years before democracy is restored. … Continue reading

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An alleged ISIS war criminal has been arrested in Canada. How did he get in, and why won’t Canada prosecute his alleged atrocities?

In 2018, Ahmed Fouad Mostafa Eldidi arrived at Toronto’s Pearson Airport. After his application for refugee status was accepted in 2019, he received a work permit. He then became a permanent resident in 2021. Subsequently, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service … Continue reading

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An Important Past: Since Hitler, Heads of State have No Immunity 

The following guest post was written by Dan Plesch, Professor of Diplomacy and Strategy at SOAS University of London and a Door Tenant at the Chambers of Stephen Kay KC at 9 Bedford Row. His books include, ‘Human Rights After … Continue reading

Posted in Germany, Guest Posts, Historical Justice, International Court of Justice, International Court of Justice (ICJ), International Criminal Justice, United Nations | Tagged | 1 Comment

Silver Linings: Putin Visits Mongolia in defiance of ICC Warrant

It’s not good news. Vladimir Putin has visited Mongolia despite an outstanding warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Observers are rightly appalled. Some are questioning the very relevance of the ICC. One analyst claims that Putin has used … Continue reading

Posted in International Criminal Court (ICC), Israel, Mongolia, Omar al-Bashir, Palestine, Palestine and the ICC, Russia, Sudan, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment