Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte arrested for crimes against humanity – a blow against impunity: The arrest of Rodrigo Duterte, who served as president of the Philippines between 2016 and 2022, for crimes against humanity for his part in the country’s violent “war on drugs” is a welcome blow against impunity. Duterte was arrested on March …
Why Microsoft’s Copilot AI falsely accused court reporter of crimes he covered: When German journalist Martin Bernklau typed his name and location into Microsoft’s Copilot to see how his articles would be picked up by the chatbot, the answers horrified him. Copilot’s results had asserted that Bernklau was an escapee from a psychiatric institution, a …
Open-source imagery is transforming investigations of international crimes – but how do judges know if it’s real?: Skorzewiak/Shutterstock Open-source online imagery can play a vital role in investigating and prosecuting alleged crimes – but only if courts can reliably assess its authenticity. Unfortunately, what we see online can’t always be trusted. Misinformation and disinformation are …
We’re working out how to solve crimes in space – the final frontier of forensic science: Nasa’s Artemis program is scheduled to return astronauts to the Moon and establish a permanent orbiting laboratory by the end of the decade. Meanwhile, private companies are making significant steps in taking paying customers further into space. As humanity’s …
Where the ICC stands if war crimes are committed on either side of the Israel-Hamas war: Since Hamas launched its offensive in Israel on October 7 2023, drawing a swift and emphatic response from the Netanyahu government, at least 1,400 people in Israel and 5,000 people in Palestine have been killed. Many of these have …
La lutte contre l’impunité pour les crimes graves s’oriente vers des procès nationaux : voici les conclusions de mes recherches dans trois pays africains: Les procès nationaux pour génocide, crimes contre l’humanité et crimes de guerre sont considérés comme plus rapides, moins coûteux et plus adaptés aux besoins des victimes que les procès de la …
The global approach to serious crimes is shifting to domestic trials – here’s what I found in three African countries: Domestic trials of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes are considered quicker, cheaper and more responsive to victims’ needs than the International Criminal Court’s trials in The Hague. But prioritising domestic accountability for the …
Amnesty for Troubles-related crimes to become law – why many people in Northern Ireland oppose the bill: The UK government’s Northern Ireland Troubles (legacy and reconciliation) bill – which has faced near universal opposition in Northern Ireland – has passed the House of Commons. The Commons rejected the latest Lords’ amendments, paving the way for …
Lucy Letby: the focus has been on her unspeakable crimes – but we should think about the victims and their families: The understandable response of many to the horrendous crimes of Lucy Letby has been: “Lock her up and throw away the key.” Letby, a former NHS nurse, has been given 14 whole-life sentences for …
Lucy Letby: it is not being ‘beige’, ‘average’ or ‘normal’ that makes her crimes so hard to understand: In seeking to understand the crimes of Lucy Letby, the neonatal nurse who murdered seven babies in her care, a fixation about how “ordinary” she appears to be has emerged. At times like this, we seek answers, …
Fifty years after the Uruguay coup, why so few people have been brought to justice for dictatorship crimes: Uruguay marks 50 years from the beginning of its coup on June 27. On this day in 1973, President Juan Maria Bordaberry and the armed forces shut down parliament and inaugurated 12 years of state terror (1973-1985). …
War crimes trial of Hashim Thaçi, the ‘George Washington of Kosovo’, will do little to reduce tensions in the Balkans: Hashim Thaçi, the former president of Kosovo and a founding member of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), has been described as “one of the key figures” in the country’s recent history. He was elected as …
Women and war crimes: why so few are prosecuted, and what happens when they are: Within days of the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the International Criminal Court (ICC) opened an investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the resulting war. On March 17 2023, the ICC issued its first …
SAS accused of unlawful killings in Afghanistan, just a year after the British government made it harder to prosecute such crimes: Reuters/Alamy A BBC investigation has found evidence supporting very serious allegations against members of the SAS while they were operating in Afghanistan in 2010-11. This includes the allegation that one unit alone may have …
Ukraine: ordinary Russian soldiers face war crimes charges but the big fish are likely to avoid punishment – here’s why: Ukraine’s chief prosecutor has announced plans to hold the first war crimes trial over Russia’s invasion. Ukraine’s prosecutor general, Iryna Venediktova, said more than 10,700 war crimes had been lodged by investigators and 600 suspects …
Ukraine: Zelensky’s ‘special mechanism’ for prosecuting war crimes explained: Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky announced recently that he had approved a decision to create a “special mechanism of justice in Ukraine” to investigate Russian “crimes” in Ukraine. The question now is what this special mechanism is and how it will fit with existing processes for ensuring …
The ICC is investigating war crimes in Ukraine – could Putin be indicted?: The International Criminal Court has now launched an investigation into actions in Ukraine at the request of 39 countries. This is an important step in the global condemnation of the Russian invasion. Individual states, the European Union and the African Union have …
Ukraine: ICC launches war crimes investigation – here’s how it will work: The International Criminal Court (ICC) has announced an investigation into alleged war crimes being committed in Ukraine. What exactly does that mean and what will be involved? The investigation was requested by the Lithuanian government, with Justice Minister Evelina Dobrovolska stating: “War crimes …