Category Archives: United States

Under pressure from Washington, states are withdrawing from the ICC: Time for a Membership Drive?

Posted on July 27, 2026 by Mark Kersten

It has been barely two weeks since U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Washington’s intention to “dismantle” the International Criminal Court “brick by brick”, and now two states have announced their withdrawal from the Court. Both Venezuela and Chad … Continue reading →

Posted in Chad, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, International Law, United States, Venezuela | Tagged | 2 Comments

Karim Khan is removed as ICC Prosecutor. What now?

Posted on July 25, 2026 by Mark Kersten

Member-states of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have voted to oust chief Prosecutor Karim Khan. The British lawyer has faced serious allegations of sexual misconduct by a member of his staff and was also a lightning rod for criticism from … Continue reading →

Posted in International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Israel, Karim Khan, Palestine, United States | 4 Comments

Options for justice in Iran: The need to preserve evidence and plan for accountability

Posted on April 28, 2026 by Mark Kersten

It is not an exaggeration to say that Iranian civilians have been subjected to atrocities by every party involved in the conflict in Iran: the Iranian regime, U.S. forces, and the Israeli military. Iranians deserve better than the stream of … Continue reading →

Posted in ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), Iran, Israel, Middle East, Palestine, United States, Universal Jurisdiction | 1 Comment

Centering accountability for atrocities: Why Lebanon should (finally) join the ICC

Posted on April 6, 2026 by Mark Kersten

“We are going to do what we did in Gaza.” That’s how a senior Israeli official described the Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon. The threat is real. Similar tactics to those used in Gaza are playing out in Lebanon: evacuation orders followed … Continue reading →

Posted in Gaza, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, United States | Leave a comment

It is not too late to change course: Why Britain is unwise permitting the US to use its military bases to execute Operation Epic Fury

Posted on March 11, 2026 by Guest Post Admin

The following is a guest post by Thomas Obel Hansen, who is is the Beatriz Galindo Distinguished Professor with the Department of International Law, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid; he has a research affiliation with the Transitional Justice Institute, Ulster … Continue reading →

Posted in Guest Posts, International Law, Iran, Spain, United Kingdom, United States | Tagged | 2 Comments

Canada’s record on illegal and aggressive war is more complicated – and worse – than you think. It’s in Ottawa’s interest for that to change.

Posted on March 2, 2026 by Mark Kersten

In response to U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, the Canadian government declined to defend the United Nations Charter and its prohibitions on the unlawful use of force under Article 2(4). Statements by Prime Minister Mark Carney and Foreign Minister Anita … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Crime of Aggression, Human Rights, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, International Law, Iran, Israel, United Nations, United States | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Middle Power Problems: What if Canada had arrested Netanyahu when he flew over the country?

Posted on February 24, 2026 by Mark Kersten

The following is a guest post by Sarah Nimigan, on the recent travel of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Canadian airspace, in defiance of the ICC’s warrant against him. Sarah is a an Academic Research Associate with the Centre … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Guest Posts, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), Israel, Palestine, Palestine and the ICC, United States | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Forget elbows; we need a spine: If Ottawa won’t condemn Trump’s violations of international law, who will speak out when he comes for Canada?

Posted on January 12, 2026 by Mark Kersten

It is not just the attacks on Venezuela and Iran, breaches of the United Nations’ Charter, or the use of illegal force that still somehow left a dictatorship in place. It is not just the threats to annex Greenland or to make … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Greenland, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Law, Israel, Palestine, Russia, Ukraine, United Nations, United States, Venezuela | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

To Prosecute or Not to Prosecute: Maduro’s Indictment, Head-of-State Immunity, and the United States’ Instrumentalisation of Non-Recognition

Posted on January 6, 2026 by Mark Kersten

Mayya Chaykina join JiC for this post on the issue of head of state immunity and the prosecution of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro. Mayya is a master’s student in law at Sciences Po Paris. Her work focuses on international criminal law, mass … Continue reading →

Posted in Guest Posts, International Law, United States, Venezuela | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Violating international law to get rid of dictators is alluring but wrong – and dangerous

Posted on January 3, 2026 by Mark Kersten

There is an alluring idea that anything – including illegal action – should be taken to protect people from dictators. It is that reasoning that some are tapping into to insist that American military strikes on Venezuela and the kidnapping of President Nicolas Maduro … Continue reading →

Posted in International Law, Iraq, Libya, Ukraine, United Nations, United States, Venezuela, War crimes | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments