Deutschland als amicus curiae
Zur Debatte um die Staatlichkeit Palästinas als Voraussetzung der Jurisdiktion des Internationalen Strafgerichtshofs
Palästina ist seit 2015 Mitglied des Rom-Statuts (RS) des Internationalen Strafgerichtshofs (IStGH). Durch seinen Beitritt spielte Palästina den Ball in der kontrovers diskutierten Frage der eigenen Staatlichkeit dem Gerichtshof zu, was diesen nun vor rechtliche und faktische Hürden stellt. Die Chef–Anklägerin (AK) des IStGHs Bensouda hat nach Abschluss einer Voruntersuchung erklärt, dass die Voraussetzungen zur Einleitung einer Situationsermittlung bzgl. möglicher in Palästina begangener Verbrechen vorliegen. Nichtsdestotrotz bat sie den IStGH …
One-eyed prosecution?
On the possibility to restrict the personal jurisdiction of an international ad hoc-tribunal for ISIS-fighters
The recent calls for the establishment of a new ad hoc-tribunal, namely to prosecute members of the terror armed group ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), may re-spread the debate as to the exact nature and legality of international criminal courts. When the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was established by the UN-Security Council (UNSC or Council) in 1993, the lawfulness of this novel step was controversial. …
The Gambia and the Rohingya’s nightmare
Which opportunity for individual criminal accountability after the possible ICJ decision against Myanmar for genocide?
The Gambia submitted an application to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 11 November 2019 against the Republic of the Union of Myanmar for acts of genocide committed against the Rohingya people. The proceedings have been initiated in application of the Genocide Convention of 1948 which both countries have ratified. They have also accepted the ICJ’s jurisdiction provided for therein under article IX. The Rohingya constitute a minority group …
Cynicism? Yes, please!
Embracing cynicism at the International Criminal Court
Debates surrounding cynicism in international law have an inherently negative focus. But why not try to take something positive-constructive out of the cynicism an institution is experiencing? Since there are few institutions, which are currently facing more cynical backlash than the International Criminal Court (ICC/Court), this piece will take a look at the reasons and at the question how cynicism manifests itself in the context of the Court and how …
International law beyond cynicism and critique
A plea for a legal scholarship that offers alternatives instead of reinforcing the status quo
Cynics do not have to look far: critical international law has uncovered the ways in which the forces of colonialism and imperialism have been present in the international legal system from its foundation to the present. According to David Kennedy, it is not only cynical use of law by despots but experts, including legal scholars, that –subtly but surely – enable, reproduce, legalize and legitimize this international legal system. With …
Mehr davon!
Völkerstrafrecht und das Streben nach Glück
In seinem Beitrag „Neues Tribunal, neues Glück?“ vom 12. Juni 2019 stellt Simon Gauseweg umfassend die Möglichkeiten einer völkerstrafrechtlichen Aufarbeitung des „Islamischen Staats“ dar. Es geht ihm dabei nicht nur um eine reine Darstellung, sondern auch um eine Bewertung, „ob das Völkerstrafrecht von der Aufarbeitung des Konflikts (…) profitieren kann oder ob die Gefahr eines Rückschritts besteht.“ In eine ähnliche Richtung zielt der Beitrag „Endlich! Erster Haftbefehl gegen einen ranghohen …
Neues Tribunal, neues Glück?
Überlegungen zur völkerstrafrechtlichen Aufarbeitung des „Islamischen Staats“
Im Februar drohte U.S.-Präsident Donald Trump per Twitter an, Kämpfer der Terrormiliz „Islamischer Staat“ (IS), die sich im Gewahrsam kurdischer Milizen in Syrien befinden, freizulassen. Viele der Kämpfer sind Staatsangehörige westlicher Staaten und möchten möglicherweise in ihre Heimatländer zurückkehren. Vor diesem Hintergrund verstärkt sich die Debatte, wie der militärisch ausgetragene Konflikt mit dem IS juristisch aufgearbeitet werden soll. Sollte hierzu ein gesondertes Tribunal eingerichtet werden? Es steht außer Frage, dass …
Where the Kaiser meets Pinochet
Some thoughts on the role of museums in memorialising international crimes
I recently visited a rather dubious location in Santiago de Chile. A restaurant, owned by a German, designed like a Bavarian beer house, praised by the local press as an ‘authentic German enclave’ in Santiago. There is nothing dubious to this as such of course. But when I entered the place, saw the fence surrounding it and the Prussian flag in its logo, I could not help the feeling that …
The CLOUD Act
A new way for international tribunals to access digital evidence
From violent protests in Sudan to airstrikes in Syria, access to online open source material and digital information is becoming essential for the fight against impunity. Open Source Information is publicly available information that anyone can lawfully obtain by request, purchase, or observation. Today’s international criminal and human rights investigations increasingly rely on digital data, such as content posted on social media platforms, to support criminal proceedings and ultimately hold …
The alleged seizure of the El Hiblu 1 by rescued migrants
Not a case of piracy under the law of the sea
On 28 March 2019, a Maltese patrol vessel intercepted the Palau-flagged tanker vessel El Hiblu 1 (IMO: 9753258) at the outer limit of Malta’s territorial sea, and the ship was subsequently boarded and secured by a Maltese special operations team using a helicopter. The reason for this operation was that the El Hiblu 1 had allegedly been hijacked by members of a group of migrants it had rescued earlier, and that these migrants had …