Category Archives: United States

Without accountability in the U.S., this won’t be the last January with an insurrection

Posted on January 19, 2023 by Mark Kersten

Images of supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro storming the Congress buildings and Supreme Court in Brasília early this month were disturbing yet unsurprising. Many saw this coming. Numerous acolytes of Donald Trump encouraged and helped plan the attacks on Brazil’s democratic … Continue reading →

Posted in Brazil, United States | 2 Comments

Polite Hypocrisy? The Rocky Road Ahead for Biden and the ICC

Posted on March 5, 2021 by Mark Kersten

If you listen closely, you might just hear a collective sigh of relief from advocates of international justice and staff at war crimes tribunals. Finally, the Trump administration is gone, and its vicious attacks on the International Criminal Court (ICC) … Continue reading →

Posted in Donald Trump, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, United States | Tagged | 6 Comments

Non-Governmental Organizations, Faith-Based Groups, Legal Professionals, Experts, and Former Government Officials Unequivocally Oppose U.S. Sanctions Against the International Criminal Court

Posted on September 26, 2020 by Mark Kersten

The following is a public letter calling on the United States to drop its sanctions against staff of the International Criminal Court (ICC). I am proud and happy to have signed the letter alongside luminaries and leaders in the field … Continue reading →

Posted in ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), Sanctions, United States | Leave a comment

Trump’s sanctions against International Criminal Court staff aren’t just ‘bad’, they’re Racist

Posted on September 10, 2020 by Mark Kersten

The presidency of Donald Trump has been defined by the perpetuation and perpetration of systemic racism. Most observers focus on evidence of Trump’s racism within the domestic realm – and there is heaps of evidence to draw upon. Trump’s outright … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Lives Matter, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, United States | Tagged | 3 Comments

Killing Soleimani: A View through the Prism of International Human Rights

Posted on May 25, 2020 by Mark Kersten

Marilena Stegbauer joins JiC for this guest-post on the killing of Qassim Soleimani. Marilena is a socio-legal researcher who strongly believes in promoting accountability for human rights violations worldwide. She holds an LL.M. in International Criminal Law (cum laude) from … Continue reading →

Posted in Drones, Guest Posts, International Law, Iran, Iraq, United States | Tagged , | 2 Comments

The Stuff of Nightmares: How the Specter of “Enhanced Interrogations” Affects the 9/11 Military Commissions in Guantánamo

Posted on March 5, 2020 by Mark Kersten

The following guest-post was written by Kate Gibson, who has been representing accused before the international criminal courts and tribunals since 2005, including as co-counsel for Radovan Karadžic and Charles Taylor, and as lead counsel for Justin Mugenzi before the ICTR. She … Continue reading →

Posted in Defense Counsel, Guantanamo Bay, Guest Posts, Human Rights, International Criminal Justice, Terrorism, United States | Tagged | 3 Comments

Could Iran Seek the International Criminal Court’s Intervention for Sanction Relief?

Posted on January 20, 2020 by Mark Kersten

The following guest post, by Mohammad Hadi Zakerhossein, explores the possibility of the International Criminal Court investigating alleged harms wrought upon civilians by the U.S. sanctions regime against Iran. Mohammad is a lecturer at the University of Tehran. The views here … Continue reading →

Posted in Crimes against humanity, Guest Posts, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Iran, Sanctions, United States | Tagged | 2 Comments

Why the ICC Should have Opened an Investigation into Afghanistan. And How it could ‘Win’ a Confrontation with Washington

Posted on April 12, 2019 by Mark Kersten

A version of this article originally appeared in Al Jazeera. Readers interested in today’s decision should also these excellent commentaries from Dov Jacobs and Kevin Jon Heller. Judges at the International Criminal Court have denied a request to open an … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, United States | 7 Comments

Afghans Don’t Know the ICC, but its Hope to Deliver Justice Depends on Making Sure They Do

Posted on September 26, 2018 by Mark Kersten

Ehsan Qaane joins JiC for this post on the role and importance of proactive outreach by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Afghanistan, where the Court is likely to investigate allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity,. Ehsan is … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, Guest Posts, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Outreach, United Nations, United States | Tagged | 1 Comment

The ICC and Afghanistan: Challenges for a Court, Opportunities for an International Organization

Posted on December 8, 2017 by Mark Kersten

The decision by the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to seek an investigation into alleged war crimes perpetrated by U.S. military forces and the CIA in Afghanistan has been widely described by some observers and legal scholars as … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, United States | 5 Comments