Foreign Policy Blogs

War Crimes

Iran calls for Islamic war crimes court as NIE defies Bush

Iran calls for Islamic war crimes court as NIE defies Bush

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a speech Tuesday with legal officials from several Islamic countries said there should be an international Islamic court using Sharia law to prosecute war criminals and violators of humanitarian rights. Ahmadinejad failed to elaborate on the logistics of the court, but said the proposed body would serve as an alternative […]

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Sudanese case tests ICC credibility.

Sudanese case tests ICC credibility.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addresses the International Criminal Court Monday, opening its annual two-week meeting which many see as chance to examine the credibility of the first permanent international war crimes tribunal. Ban addresses the 105-nation ICC as the court faces international criticism for its failure to prosecute Sudanese war crimes suspects. Analysts say that […]

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Iraq requests custody of Chemical Ali

Iraq requests custody of Chemical Ali

The Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, issued an appeal to U.S. President George W. Bush requesting U.S. officials hand over Ali Hassan al-Majid , “Chemical Ali” , and two other former Iraqi officials sentenced to hang for war crimes.  U.S. officials have been reluctant to hand the three officials over to the Iraqi's citing a […]

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New details in Hariri assasination

New details in Hariri assasination

The chief investigator for the U.N. commission investigating the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri said the inquiry is developing new leads and “persons of interest.” Serge Brammertz, the Belgian prosecutor charged with investigating the assassination, issued his final report to the U.N. Security Council stating the investigation has produced new information. “The […]

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Hunt on for Nazis in South America

Hunt on for Nazis in South America

The Israeli Simon Wiesenthal Center embarked on a last ditch effort to hunt down surviving Nazis in South America.  "The passage of time in no way diminishes the guilt of the perpetrators," the center's director, Efraim Zuroff, said.  The group put out a $460,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of Dr. […]

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Sudan sues French charity for child abduction.

Sudan sues French charity for child abduction.

A Sudanese minister said the government there launched legal challenge against a French charity accused of flying over a hundred children from Chad to families in Europe. Interior Minister Zubair Bashir Taha said Sudan planned to sue Zoe's Ark charitable organization for violating international laws by allegedly abducting children from villages and refugee camps in […]

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U.S. holding AP photographer on terrorist charges

U.S. holding AP photographer on terrorist charges

The attempts by the U.S. military to bring charges against an Associated Press photographer is bringing condemnation from the press group.  The U.S. military detained Bilal Hussein in Ramadi in April, 2006, alleging he had links to terrorist groups in Iraq.  Hussein, a 36-year-old native of Fallujah, has been held in custody since then without […]

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Troops raid homes of Karadzic's family

Troops raid homes of Karadzic's family

Peacekeeping troops with the European Union and NATO searched the homes of relatives of Radovan Karadzic Friday looking for indications of his whereabouts. Karadzic vanished in 1998 after stepping down from his official government duties.  He, as well as Gen. Ratko Mladic, are on the run for allegations regarding the massacre at Srebrenica, in which […]

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Khmer Rouge prison leader appears in court.

Khmer Rouge prison leader appears in court.

Kaing Guek Eav, known as “Duch,” walked into a courtroom to face charges for the deaths of 1.7 million people nearly 30 years after the atrocities in Cambodia came to an end. Duch, 66, is a former math teacher who lead the notorious Tuol Sleng prison, or S-21, where more than 14,000 people were tortured […]

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Blackwater shootings unjustified, FBI says.

Blackwater shootings unjustified, FBI says.

Investigators found Blackwater security personnel fired indiscriminately in 14 of the 17 shooting deaths of Iraqi civilians on Sept. 16.  The FBI said the contractors violated deadly-force rules in effect for security contractors, suggesting the contractors acted recklessly. Officials familiar with the case say they are cynical about the ability to prosecute individuals in the […]

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First ever trail at ICC to hear Congolese case

First ever trail at ICC to hear Congolese case

Thomas Lubanga, a Congolese rebel leader accused of conscripting child soldiers, will face the International Criminal Court in March 2008, the ICC announced today. Lubanga, was arrested in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, during a crackdown following the murder and mutilation of nine U.N. peacekeepers. He allegedly forced children to undergo training for the armed wing […]

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Khmer Rouge minister arrested.

Khmer Rouge minister arrested.

Cambodian police officials arrested the former foreign minister of the Khmer Rouge along with his wife Monday and brought before the U.N.-backed war crimes tribunal to face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Officials detained Ieng Sary and his wife, Ieng Thirith, at the tribunal headquarters in Phnom Pehn at dawn. A filing […]

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Obstruction charges in Khadr case.

Obstruction charges in Khadr case.

The defense team for a Canadian citizen held at Guantanamo Bay on terrorist-related charges said the U.S. government withheld essential evidence in its effort to rush ahead with the tribunal in an attempt to validate its existence. Navy Lt. Cmdr. William Kuebler said the government withheld information obtained from several witnesses in his defense of […]

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Gitmo case underway for Canadian, Khadr

Gitmo case underway for Canadian, Khadr

The status of a Canadian citizen accused of murder, conspiracy, and other terrorist related charges will be determined by a military court Thursday at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Omar Khadr, 21, will face a Military Commissions Review board to determine whether he is eligible for prosecution by the war crimes tribunal sitting at the naval detention […]

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Serbian leader testifies at The Hague.

Serbian leader testifies at The Hague.

The war crimes trail for the chairman of the Serbian Radical Party resumed at the international court in the Hague Wednesday.  Vojislav Seselj, 52, is one of the most senior officials of the government of the former Yugoslavia to face prosecution for war crimes during the Bosnian wars.  Seselj faces prosecution for murder, persecution, inhumane […]

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