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.

If not the ICC, then who? The need for an international investigation into atrocities in Israel and Palestine

A version of this article was first published at Al Jazeera, here. The devastating explosion of al-Ahli Arab Hospital in central Gaza, in which the Palestinian Health Ministry says at least 500 people were killed, shows exactly why the International Criminal … Continue reading

Posted in ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Israel, Palestine | 5 Comments

Who’s Afraid of an International Investigation? The al-Al-Ahli Arab Hospital blast and atrocities in Israel and Palestine deserve an international probe

International investigations play a critical role in establishing responsibility for war crimes. Amidst contradictory and competing claims over wrongdoing that characterize conflicts, international investigations can help us see through the fog of war and pinpoint not just what happened, but who is responsible. The … Continue reading

Posted in Canada, Commission of Inquiry, Germany, International Court of Justice (ICJ), Israel, Palestine, Palestine and the ICC, United Kingdom, United States | Tagged | 24 Comments

Enough with the silence: the ICC Prosecutor must speak and act on the situation in Israel and Palestine

Update: on 12 October, the ICC Prosecutor spoke with Anthony Deutsch and Stephanie van den Berg on the situation in Palestine and Israel. His comments can be found here. The world is once again witnessing mass atrocities committed against civilians … Continue reading

Posted in International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Israel, Palestine, Palestine and the ICC | Tagged | 4 Comments

It’s Time: Canada should support an investigation by the ICC into Palestine

It is time. It is, in fact, well beyond time.  The images and information of atrocities streaming from Israel and Palestine – the murders, rapes, bombings, the hostages taken by Hamas, including children – are harrowing and heartbreaking. They demand … Continue reading

Posted in "Peace versus Justice" Debate, Canada, International Criminal Court (ICC), Israel, Palestine | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The Shadow of Impunity: Justice for the killing of Baha Mousa and lessons for Afghanistan

Elizabeth Brown joins JiC for this guest-post on ongoing need for accountability over the death of Baha Mousa and other Iraqis killed in UK detention. Elizabeth is a doctoral researcher in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London, where her … Continue reading

Posted in European Court of Human Rights, Human Rights, Iraq, Torture, United Kingdom, War crimes | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Junta against junta: Guinea between transitional justice and political uncertainty

The following article is a guest-post by Marco Bocchese on the trial of former junta members in Guinea over the 2009 Conakry Stadium massacre. Marco is an Assistant Professor at Webster Vienna Private University. For the last year, Guinea has … Continue reading

Posted in Conakry Stadium Massacre, Guest Posts, Guinea, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice | Tagged | 2 Comments

Ukraine’s allies can and should find a way to seize repurpose Russian assets to fund reparations

Pass through Toronto Pearson airport and you might spot a tired looking plane on the tarmac. No, it’s not another delayed Air Canada flight. The aircraft is the Russian-registered Volga-Dnepr, seized by Canadian authorities in February 2022. That plane is now likely … Continue reading

Posted in Asset Seizure, Canada, Russia, Sanctions, Transnational Criminal Law, Transnational Organized Crime, Ukraine, United Nations | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Keeping the Hope of Justice Alive: Canada and The Netherlands take Syria to the International Court of Justice over Torture Allegations

For the most part, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has gotten away with it. Rather than being held to account for the countless atrocities his regime has committed against civilians, Assad has been busy reconciling with world leaders. But a Canadian-Dutch initiative might just change … Continue reading

Posted in Canada, International Court of Justice, International Court of Justice (ICJ), Syria, The Netherlands, Torture | Leave a comment

End of the Road: Prosecuting Fulgence Kayishema for Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda

The following is a guest-post by Owiso Owiso and Doris Uwicyeza Picard. Owiso is an international lawyer, scholar and researcher whose primary interests and areas of specialisation include general public international law, international criminal law/justice, international arbitration and dispute settlement, law of international … Continue reading

Posted in International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), Rwanda, Rwandan Genocide, South Africa | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

New Article Alert: ‘Global South’ Voices Are Muted in Debates over the Crime of Aggression: What Three Books on Illegal War Tell Us About Why

Dear readers, I wanted to share with you a new article published at the International Journal of Transitional Justice earlier this year: “‘Global South’ Voices Are Muted in Debates over the Crime of Aggression: What Three Books on Illegal War … Continue reading

Posted in African Union (AU), Crime of Aggression, International Criminal Court (ICC), Russia, Ukraine | Leave a comment