Category Archives: Syria

Looking Back to 2016 and Forward to 2017 in the World of International Criminal Justice

Posted on January 3, 2017 by Mark Kersten

Since the emergence of international criminal justice as a regular practice in international relations and law, there has never been a dull year — and there is unlikely to be one any time soon. The year 2016 brought with it remarkable moments, … Continue reading →

Posted in Hissène Habré, ICC Prosecutor, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM), International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, JiC News, Kenya, Kosovo, Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), Kosovo Relocated Specialist Judicial Institution (KRSJI), Syria | 2 Comments

United We Stand, Divided We Fall — The UN General Assembly’s Chance to Bring Justice to Syria

Posted on December 30, 2016 by Mark Kersten

For all the talk of justice for mass atrocities in Syria and myriad mechanisms aimed at forcing the international community to bring Syrian war criminals to account, the world has very little to show. But several recent developments at the United Nations … Continue reading →

Posted in Commission for International Justice and Accountability (CIJA), Commission of Inquiry, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM), International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Syria, UN General Assembly | 5 Comments

Calls to Prosecute War Crimes in Syria are Growing. Is international justice possible?

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Mark Kersten

This article, originally published for the Washington Post’s Monkey Cage blog, focuses on the (very) imperfect options for justice and accountability in Syria. Much of this has been covered at JiC over the years, but I hope it remains of … Continue reading →

Posted in Ad hoc tribunals, Hybrid Tribunals, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Iraq, ISIS, Islamic State, Syria | 6 Comments

Prosecuting War Crimes in Syria: Many Tribulations, But No Trials (Yet)

Posted on September 30, 2016 by Mark Kersten

This article was originally published as a contribution to Cicero Magazine. You can find the original article here. What the United States called Russia’s “barbarism” in Syria, the United Kingdom referred to as Moscow’s “war crimes”. Russia responded by stating … Continue reading →

Posted in International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Iraq, ISIS, Islamic State, Syria, Yazidi Genocide | 2 Comments

Let’s Avoid Politicizing the Genocide Against Yazidis

Posted on July 4, 2016 by Mark Kersten

There is no doubt that genocidal acts have been perpetrated against the Yazidi people by the Islamic State (ISIS). A recent report by United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Syria has given credence to political declarations in the United States, … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Commission for International Justice and Accountability (CIJA), Genocide, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Justice Ambassador, Iraq, ISIS, Islamic State, Syria, Terrorism, UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria, United Kingdom, United Nations, United States, Yazidi Genocide | Tagged | 13 Comments

A Matter of Justice, Not Immigration: What to do with War Criminals posing as Refugees

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Mark Kersten

Rumours that terrorists have been hiding themselves among Syrian refugees and asylum seekers embarking for the shores and capitals Europe are nothing new. Especially in the wake of the Paris attacks last year, it was widely reported that groups like … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Europe, International Criminal Justice, Refugees, Syria, The Netherlands | 11 Comments

Event: Prospects of Justice, Avenues for Accountability – Investigating War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity in Syria

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Mark Kersten

For any and all readers in the Toronto area, I am thrilled to announce that I have organized my first event at the Munk School of Global Affairs: ‘Prospects of Justice, Avenues for Accountability – Investigating War Crimes and Crimes … Continue reading →

Posted in JiC News, Syria | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Please Stop Bean-Counting Syrian refugees

Posted on February 2, 2016 by Mark Kersten

For months, the international community has been clamouring to find an appropriate response to address the plight of hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing violence and terror in Syria. But much of the debate about what states can and should … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Refugees, Syria | 3 Comments

The Responsibility to Protect isn’t Dead, but its Proponents’ Hubris has Wounded it

Posted on December 9, 2015 by Mark Kersten

It has been a decade since the international community endorsed the principle of “Responsibility to Protect.” But with hundreds of thousands dead in civil conflicts around the globe, it is clear that the expectations set by this doctrine are not … Continue reading →

Posted in International Law, Libya, Responsibiltiy to Protect (R2P), Syria | 9 Comments

Laying the Blame: Justice in Syria Just Got a Bit More Likely

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Mark Kersten

Anyone would be excused for believing that things in Syria may get worse before they get better. Millions of civilians live in daily fear for their security. Those who manage to escape do so to a new kind of hell … Continue reading →

Posted in International Law, ISIS, Islamic State, Israel, Justice, Russia, Syria, UN Security Council | Tagged , , | 6 Comments