Category Archives: Torture

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

Whatever Happens, the ICC’s Investigation into US Torture in Afghanistan is a Win for the Court

Posted on November 17, 2016 by Mark Kersten

It was predicted when the US Senate released its so-called ‘Torture Report’. A few weeks ago, it was reported to be true. And now the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has confirmed it. A decision … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Preliminary Examinations, Torture, United States | 9 Comments

John Bolton says Hillary Clinton Would Join the ICC. Is He Right?

Posted on June 22, 2016 by Mark Kersten

In a way, it’s kind of sad. You would think, after all of these years, that former US diplomat John Bolton would get over his almost paranoid fear of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Bolton, who served under George W. … Continue reading →

Posted in International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Torture, United States | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Did the Torture Report Just Open the U.S. Up to ICC Prosecution?

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Mark Kersten

Does the recent ‘torture report’ on CIA ‘enhanced interrogation methods’ leave US citizens vulnerable to prosecution by the International Criminal Court (ICC)? That was the question I was asked to answer in my latest article for the Washington Post’s Monkey Cage, … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, International Law, Justice, Torture, United States | Tagged | 67 Comments

A Disturbing Tale: Canada’s Human Rights Record and Reputation

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Mark Kersten

This past week the United Nations Committee Against Torture released a report into Canada’s human rights record. It wasn’t pretty. The Committee suggested that Canada was complicit in the torture of Canadian citizens post-9/11 and expressed concern at the “apparent reluctance on part … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, Canada, Extraordinary Rendition, Guantanamo Bay, International Criminal Court (ICC), Justice, Torture, War crimes | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Justice for Sexual Violence and Gender Crimes in Argentina

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Mark Kersten

The following is a guest-post on gender and sexual violence as crimes against humanity and torture in the context of Argentina’s Dirty War by Mariana Rodriguez Pareja and Alia Al-Khatib, who is a human rights activist and Vassar Maguire Fellow in … Continue reading →

Posted in Argentina, Crimes against humanity, Sexual Violence, Torture | Tagged , | 1 Comment

A Genocide in Northern Uganda? – The ‘Protected Camps’ Policy of 1999 to 2006

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Patrick Wegner

The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) conflict effectively ended for northern Uganda in 2006, after 20 years of suffering, when the LRA moved out of Uganda at the start of the Juba Peace Talks. Despite relative peace returning to the area, … Continue reading →

Posted in Complementarity, Crimes against humanity, Darfur, Genocide, IDP, International Criminal Court (ICC), Justice, Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), Sudan, Torture, Uganda | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

No Limits for Justice? Universal Jurisdiction and the Case of Former Chadian President Hissene Habré

Posted on December 18, 2011 by Patrick Wegner

When we talk about justice in conflicts there is a potentially unlimited array of transitional justice mechanisms that could be brought to use in order to deal with atrocities committed during armed conflict. The first measures that come to mind … Continue reading →

Posted in African Union (AU), Democratic Republic of Congo, Exile, Israel, Torture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

An Arab Fling: The West and International Justice in Libya

Posted on September 26, 2011 by Mark Kersten

The following piece is a guest-post at Opinio Juris where I have been honoured with the opportunity to guest-blog for the next two weeks. All pieces will also be cross-posted here. Enjoy! An Arab Fling: The West and International Justice … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, France, Human Rights, International Criminal Court (ICC), Justice, Libya, Libya and the ICC, The Tripoli Three (Tripoli3), Torture, UN Security Council, United Kingdom, United States | Leave a comment

Democracy at the Brink: A New Leader for Guatemala

Posted on September 9, 2011 by Mark Kersten

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