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.

Democracy at the Brink: A New Leader for Guatemala

With her latest post, Holly Dranginis comments on the upcoming election of a new President in Guatemala. As a Fulbright Scholar in Guatemala from 2006-2007 studying transitional justice and urban political violence, Holly is an informed and interested observer of justice … Continue reading

Posted in Guatemala, Latin America, Torture, Transitional Justice | Leave a comment

Gaddafi to Burkina Faso? Probably Not: Lessons from Charles Taylor

In the wake of pro-Gaddafi convoys speeding through the Sahara, apparently with cash and gold aboard, there has been a lot of confusion and concern regarding where Colonel Gaddafi is and whether he will seek asylum in Burkina Faso, via … Continue reading

Posted in African Union (AU), Amnesty, Burkina Faso, Exile, International Criminal Court (ICC), Liberia, Libya, Libya and the ICC, Sierra Leone, Special Court for SIerra Leone (SCSL), The Tripoli Three (Tripoli3) | 4 Comments

Getting away with murder: Could Latin America become a safe haven for Libyan war criminals?

I’m very happy to welcome a guest-posting duo this week. Mariana Rodriguez Pareja is a communications expert and human rights advocate. You can follow her (here) on twitter. Salvador Herencia Carrasco holds an LL.M. from the University of Ottawa and … Continue reading

Posted in Argentina, Crimes against humanity, Darfur, Human Rights, Latin America, Libya, Libya and the ICC, Sudan, Venezuela | 2 Comments

A “Remarkable Relationship”: US and UK Complicit in Gaddafi Regime Crimes

Shocking but unfortunately unsurprising reports have emerged that American and British intelligence agencies were complicit in the torture and extraordinary rendition of Gaddafi regime “enemies”. At the same time, in an awkward development for the rebels’ ally NATO, a key rebel … Continue reading

Posted in Crimes against humanity, Extraordinary Rendition, Human Rights, International Criminal Court (ICC), Libya, Libya and the ICC, Torture, United Kingdom, United States | 2 Comments

ICC’s Next Top Prosecutor: In the Bag – AU Endorses Bensouda for ICC Prosecutor

No suprise here, but as reported (apparently exclusively) by IntLawGrrls, the African Union (AU) has endorsed Fatou Bensouda as the ICC’s next chief Prosecutor. They did so in an AU meeting in Ethiopia back in June: “Ms. Fatou Bomm Bensouda of … Continue reading

Posted in African Union (AU), Fatou Bensouda, International Criminal Court (ICC), Next ICC Prosecutor | 4 Comments

Used and Abandoned: Libya, the UN Security Council and the ICC

It hasn’t been a particularly good week for the ICC. First, came the mistaken confirmation by the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) that Libyan rebels had detained Saif al-Islam. Within hours of the “confirmation” it became clear that Saif was not … Continue reading

Posted in Human Rights, International Criminal Court (ICC), Justice, Libya, Libya and the ICC, UN Security Council, United Kingdom, United States | 6 Comments

Having Cake and Eating it Too: An ICC Trial in Libya?

The past few days has seen an interesting shift in the debates regarding international justice in Libya. While many commentators, especially those who argue that justice can only hinder peace, were once happy to question whether Muammar Gaddafi, his son … Continue reading

Posted in Complementarity, International Criminal Court (ICC), Justice, Kenya, Libya, Libya and the ICC, The Tripoli Three (Tripoli3) | 4 Comments

Trying the Tripoli Three: Justice at Home or Away?

Andrew Jillions joins JiC once again to discuss where the Tripoli Three should be tried: in Libya or The Hague? With rebels storming Tripoli and Saif al-Islam reported captured, it seemed appropriate to consider the question of where those indicted … Continue reading

Posted in Complementarity, Crimes against humanity, Human Rights, International Criminal Court (ICC), Justice, Libya, Libya and the ICC, The Tripoli Three (Tripoli3) | Leave a comment

Peace and Justice in Libya – Tripoli Falling, Justice Rising?

Reports are proliferating that the Libyan capital of Tripoli is on the verge of collapse. The level of resistance in the country has apparently now been withered to “pockets”. While the location of Col. Muammar Gaddafi remains unknown, the BBC … Continue reading

Posted in Amnesty, International Criminal Court (ICC), Justice, Libya, Libya and the ICC, Peace Negotiations, The Tripoli Three (Tripoli3) | 3 Comments

The Middle Man: The Intermediaries of International Criminal Justice

Dear JiC Readers: We continue this week with a new guest-poster at JiC, Holly Dranginis. Holly is a law student at Berkeley Law School and a researcher at the Berkeley Human Rights Center. She was a consultant for the International Criminal … Continue reading

Posted in Human Rights, International Criminal Court (ICC), Justice, Uganda | Leave a comment