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.
Hategekimana proves classic Rwandan case
A French court on June 28 sentenced former Rwandan gendarme Philippe Hategekimana to life in jail for genocide and crimes against humanity. In the final days of this trial, where testimony was central, the prosecution and defence clashed over the credibility of witness accounts. Such clashes are a constant feature of these Rwandan genocide trials, […]
Read more
