Syria, J’Accuse! Syrian State Responsibility for War Crimes
So far, achieving any measure of accountability for the grave international crimes being committed in Syria has been elusive, as I’ve outlined before. A draft S…
War Crime
ISIL = Genocide, Per Secretary Kerry
Secretary of State John Kerry announced on March 17 that, in his judgment, ISIL is committing genocide against a number of minority groups in Syria and Iraq, in…
Mapping War Crimes in Syria
This paper maps the range of war crimes being committed in Syria with reference to the applicable treaty and customary international law and prospects for prose…
War Crimes and the Use of Improvised and Indiscriminate Weapons in Syria
Editor’s note: This is the latest in a continuing series about alleged war crimes in Syria. You can find the previous installments here and here. While several…
Iraq & Syria: Prospects for Accountability
On February 10, 2016, the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission convened a Congressional briefing devoted to the topic of advancing accountability for the commissi…
“More Than a Domestic Mechanism”: Options for Hybrid Justice in Sri Lanka
For nearly three decades, the government of Sri Lanka fought with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), but after years of resistance, the new government…
Syrian Government Blocks Aid To Starving Residents Of Madaya
People in the Syrian town of Madaya are still starving to death. A U.N. aid convoy was finally allowed into the town last month, but it wasn't enough. Secre…
Siege Warfare and the Starvation of Civilians as a Weapon of War and War Crime
“Let me be clear: The use of starvation as a weapon of war is a war crime.” These are the words of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, uttered in connection with…
Mapping the Law That Applies to War Crimes in Syria
War crimes have been a consistent feature of the Syrian conflict since its inception. Indeed, a map of the war crimes committed in Syria reads like a survey cou…
Press
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What Makes a War Crime?
"“There’s no scenario where the United States would have wanted this outcome,” said Beth Van Schaack, visiting professor of human rights at Stanford. “The…