Category Archives: Canada

Canada should Recognize Palestine, Now: My Speech to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs

Posted on October 29, 2024 by Mark Kersten

Dear JiC readers: I had the honour and opportunity to present my views to the Canadian House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development on 29 October. A video of my testimony – and that of others, … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Gaza, International Law, Israel | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

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

Posted on October 4, 2024 by Mark Kersten

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 →

Posted in Canada, Iraq, ISIS, Syria, Terrorism, Universal Jurisdiction, War crimes | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

A Message to the Canadian Government: Stop dithering, and Support the ICC’s work in Israel and Palestine Now.

Posted on May 29, 2024 by Mark Kersten

The following is an open letter that I had the pleasure and honour of drafting alongside Canadian justice and accountability leaders Alex Neve, Heidi Mathews, Ardi Imseis, Kjell Anderson, Leilani Farha, and Michael Lynk. As can be seen below, it … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Hamas, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), Israel, Palestine, Palestine and the ICC | 2 Comments

An alleged Nazi was invited to Parliament. But why are there Nazis and war criminals in Canada in the first place?

Posted on February 14, 2024 by Mark Kersten

Last fall, Canadians were rightly appalled to learn that an alleged Nazi veteran had been invited to sit in the House of Commons and received a standing ovation from MPs across the political spectrum. The story was not left behind … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, War crimes | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Let the International Court of Justice Decide: It is Law, not History, that holds the Promise of Protecting Life in Gaza 

Posted on January 22, 2024 by Mark Kersten

The following article was written by Amanda Ghahremani and Mark Kersten and originally appeared in the Toronto Star. Amanda is an international lawyer, research fellow at the Human Rights Center, UC Berkeley, and at the Simone de Beauvoir Institute, Concordia … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Gaza, Genocide, International Court of Justice (ICJ), International Law, Israel, Palestine, South Africa | Tagged | 2 Comments

The Currency of Diplomacy: A Speech Canada’s Commitment to International Law and Prosecuting International Crimes

Posted on November 30, 2023 by Mark Kersten

This week, I had the opportunity to speak before the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development in Ottawa. I spoke Canada’s piecemeal commitment to international law and to the prosecution of international crimes. I appeared … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Corruption, Gaza, Hybrid Courts, Hybrid Tribunals, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Israel, Palestine, Transnational Organized Crime | Leave a comment

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

Posted on October 24, 2023 by Mark Kersten

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

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

Posted on October 10, 2023 by Mark Kersten

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

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

Posted on July 11, 2023 by Mark Kersten

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

Posted on July 3, 2023 by Mark Kersten

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