Category Archives: War crimes

More of the same, or changes on the way? For the first time in a decade, the Canadian War Crimes Program sheds light on what it has been up to.

Posted on December 18, 2025 by Mark Kersten

Atrocities in Sudan, Gaza, and Ukraine raise a question: do people in countries far away, like Canada, have a role in addressing the suffering of others? While these conflicts can appear remote, affecting only distant strangers, the horrors they produce … Continue reading →

Posted in Ahmed Eldidi, Canada, Canadian War Crimes Program, Gaza, Hamas, International Criminal Justice, Islamic State, Israel, Palestine, RCMP Structural Investigation, Structural Investigation, Ukraine, Universal Jurisdiction, War crimes | Tagged | 2 Comments

Catching perpetrators to prosecute them abroad: could piecemeal justice contribute to comprehensive accountability for atrocities committed in Gaza?

Posted on August 11, 2025 by Mark Kersten

They thought they’d enjoy the festival, maybe a waffle and a Hoegaarden. Instead, the two Israeli soldiers were detained and questioned by Belgian police after facing allegations of war crimes stemming from the Hind Rajab Foundation, an organization set up to track soldiers … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Crimes against humanity, Gaza, Genocide, Israel, Palestine, Palestine and the ICC, Syria, Universal Jurisdiction, War crimes | Tagged | Leave a comment

Algorithms, Automation and Accountability: Imagining Responsibility for the Crimes of Machines

Posted on August 6, 2025 by Mark Kersten

The following is a guest post by Masoud Zamani is a lecturer in international law and international relations at the University of British Columbia. His research focuses on the intersection of emerging technologies and international legal accountability. In recent years, … Continue reading →

Posted in Drones, Guest Posts, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, lethal autonomous weapon systems, War crimes | Tagged | 1 Comment

Sifting through speculation: What we do and don’t know about Canada’s Structural Investigation into the Israel-Hamas War

Posted on July 15, 2025 by Mark Kersten

In the wake of the recent revelation that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) had opened a structural investigation into international crimes committed during the Israeli-Hamas conflict in early 2024, many have projected their gravest fears, and greatest hopes, on what an … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Crimes against humanity, Gaza, Genocide, International Criminal Court (ICC), Israel, Palestine, RCMP Structural Investigation, Universal Jurisdiction, War crimes, West Bank | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

There must be consequences: Accountability for war crimes can help stop attacks on hospitals

Posted on July 2, 2025 by Mark Kersten

The doctors assumed that a well-marked hospital would be safe, especially since the warring parties in the region were informed of its existence and its life-saving operations. But they were wrong, and the attacks came in waves. When it was … Continue reading →

Posted in Gaza, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, International Humanitarian Law, Iran, Palestine, Palestine and the ICC, Russia, Sudan, Ukraine, War crimes | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

‘A new standard on perpetrator research’ – An Enthusiastic Encyclopaedia of Perpetrators

Posted on June 23, 2025 by Mark Kersten

The following article by Carola Lingaas is the latest in JiC’s ongoing symposium on Alette Smeulers’ new book “Perpetrators of Mass Atrocities Terribly and Terrifyingly Normal?”. Carola is a full professor of law at VID Specialized University in Oslo (Norway). For all other … Continue reading →

Posted in Genocide, International Criminal Justice, Symposium Introduction - A JiC Symposium on Alette Smeulers'  "Perpetrators of Mass Atrocities Terribly and Terrifyingly Normal?, Terrorism, War crimes | Tagged | Leave a comment

‘The greatest danger is in failing to recognize that societies can be structured to make atrocity normal’: From Yugoslav Atrocity Perpetrators to Intergenerational Extremism

Posted on June 20, 2025 by Mark Kersten

The following is Dr. Mirza Buljubašić‘s contribution to JiC’s ongoing symposium on Alette Smeulers’ new book “Perpetrators of Mass Atrocities Terribly and Terrifyingly Normal?”. Buljubašić is a criminologist with a PhD, MA, and BA in Criminology, as well as degrees in Criminal … Continue reading →

Posted in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Crimes against humanity, International Criminal Justice, Symposium Introduction - A JiC Symposium on Alette Smeulers'  "Perpetrators of Mass Atrocities Terribly and Terrifyingly Normal?, War crimes | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

‘What are perpetrators actually doing, and to whom?’ A call to focus on the actions of perpetrators of mass atrocities

Posted on June 19, 2025 by Mark Kersten

The following contribution to JiC’s ongoing symposium on Alette Smeulers’  “Perpetrators of Mass Atrocities Terribly and Terrifyingly Normal?” comes from Dr. Iva Vukušić, an Assistant Professor of International History at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. You can access all contributions to … Continue reading →

Posted in Alette Smeulers, Crimes against humanity, Genocide, War crimes | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The Traumatized Perpetrator – “I actually murdered somebody. I felt very bad about that and I just wanted to run away.”

Posted on June 19, 2025 by Mark Kersten

The following contribution by Bart Nauta is part of JiC’s ongoing symposium on Alette Smeulers’ new book “Perpetrators of Mass Atrocities Terribly and Terrifyingly Normal?”. Bart is a historian and interdisciplinary researcher at ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre and a PhD … Continue reading →

Posted in Argentina, Crimes against humanity, South Africa, Symposium Introduction - A JiC Symposium on Alette Smeulers'  "Perpetrators of Mass Atrocities Terribly and Terrifyingly Normal?, Vietnam, War crimes | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Introduction – A JiC Symposium on Alette Smeulers’  “Perpetrators of Mass Atrocities Terribly and Terrifyingly Normal?”

Posted on June 18, 2025 by Mark Kersten

What forces make and shape perpetrators of mass atrocities? What makes them tick and ultimately resort to horrific violence? What explains their behaviour, and their decision to resort to the commission of international crimes? What can understanding different motivations and … Continue reading →

Posted in Crimes against humanity, Genocide, International Criminal Justice, Symposium Introduction - A JiC Symposium on Alette Smeulers'  "Perpetrators of Mass Atrocities Terribly and Terrifyingly Normal?, Transitional Justice, War crimes | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment