Category Archives: Canada

Canada’s Pursuit of Syria over Torture May be Symbolic. But Here’s Why It Matters

Posted on March 11, 2021 by Mark Kersten

Last month marked the tenth anniversary of the brutal civil war in Syria. The number of atrocities committed over that span is bewildering. In all probability, every single human rights violation and international crime enshrined in international law has been … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, International Court of Justice (ICJ), Syria, The Netherlands, Torture | 1 Comment

It’s About Time: Calling on the ICC investigate Atrocities Perpetrated by former DRC President Kabila

Posted on June 29, 2020 by Mark Kersten

It is no secret: the International Criminal Court (ICC) struggles to bring to justice perpetrators from all sides of the conflicts that it intervenes in. That is true for many of the situations under ICC investigation. In Uganda, only members … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Democratic Republic of Congo, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Crossing the Line – Trump Approves Sanctions against Staff at the ICC

Posted on June 18, 2020 by Mark Kersten

A version of this article was originally published at the CBC. Now, it’s personal. Washington has long opposed its citizens being investigated for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity by international tribunals. But the decision of President Donald Trump … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Donald Trump, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Sanctions | Tagged | 3 Comments

The Arrest of the Rwandan Genocide’s Bankroller is a Warning to Others, including Western States

Posted on May 21, 2020 by Mark Kersten

A version of the following article was originally published at the Toronto Star. Time has a funny way of catching up with people. Perhaps that thought crossed Félicien Kabuga’s mind when police raided an apartment on the outskirts of Paris … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Colombia, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), Rwanda, Rwandan Genocide, Saudi Arabia | Tagged | 1 Comment

Unreliable and Piecemeal: The Canadian Government’s Record on Global Justice

Posted on October 18, 2019 by Mark Kersten

The gap between the demand for global justice and its supply has widened. Victims of atrocities in Syria, Myanmar, Burundi, Venezuela, Ukraine and elsewhere demand justice — but very few are heard. Canada’s approach to international accountability efforts has become … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, ISIS, Islamic State, Kurdistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Hi Venezuela, You’ve Reached the ICC. Can We Put You on Hold?

Posted on September 16, 2019 by Mark Kersten

This article was originally published at CEPAZ, where a number of other posts on Venezuela and international criminal justice will be published over the coming days. The post is also available in Spanish here.  In September 2018, six states – … Continue reading →

Posted in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Paraguay, Peru, Preliminary Examinations, Venezuela | 1 Comment

Companies Helped Sustain the Gaddafi Regime. They Should be Held to Account

Posted on April 8, 2019 by Mark Kersten

The following was written for and initially published by the Global and Mail, in response to the ongoing scandal surrounding the Canadian government and the Canadian company, SNC-Lavalin.  Canadians have been battered with news about the SNC-Lavalin scandal. The Trudeau … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Libya, Libya and the ICC | Tagged | 2 Comments

Justice for the Rohingya – What States, like Canada, Can Do Now

Posted on September 18, 2018 by Mark Kersten

This blog was jointly written by Amanda Ghahremani, the Legal Director of Canadian Centre for International Justice, Fannie Lafontaine, a professor at Université Laval and Canada Research Chair on International Criminal Justice and Human Rights, and Mark Kersten, a Fellow at … Continue reading →

Posted in Bangladesh, Canada, Canadian Partnership of International Justice , Crimes against humanity, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Myanmar, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Mixing Immigration and Justice… Without Sacrificing One for the Other

Posted on November 19, 2017 by Mark Kersten

Below is an article I wrote, a version of which originally appeared in the Globe and Mail, on the increasingly blurred lines between immigration policy and international criminal justice. While the focus of the piece is on the Canadian experience and what the … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Guatemala, Immigration, International Criminal Justice, International Justice Ambassador, International Law, Refugees, Syria | 3 Comments

Politics, Justice, and the Politics of Justice — Partisanship and the International Criminal Court

Posted on December 12, 2016 by Mark Kersten

At this point, it is almost a cliché to call international criminal justice “political”. For years, calling war crimes tribunals political was the gravest of insults critics could levy against the field. Slowly, however, it has become more acceptable — … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Gambia, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, South Africa | 1 Comment