Universal jurisdiction
Trying people wherever they are, whatever their nationality
Universal jurisdiction enables national judicial systems to try individuals, regardless of their nationality or the place where the crimes were committed. This justice approach deals with international crimes committed a long time ago, as during the civil wars in Liberia, or when no other jurisdiction, international or national, is able or willing to try them,, as in the case of Syria. As with the trials of Rwandans in several European countries (for genocide), the trial of Gambian Ousman Sonko (accused of crimes against humanity in Switzerland) or of Chadian Hissein Habré, tried and convicted in Senegal (for crimes committed in Chad in the 1980s). Discover universal jurisdiction through the news documented by our experts.
Finland on the frontline for trying Russians for war crimes
Finland is the stage for an unusual trial, where a 37-year-old Russian citizen is charged with war crimes committed in Ukraine. Voislav Torden is accused of leading an ambush attack in which 22 Ukrainian soldiers were killed, including four who were executed after being injured in eastern Ukraine in 2014. The accused denies all allegations. […]
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