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.
France or Germany: state torturers, don't go to the wrong place
In early 2021, France’s highest court granted immunity to state officials suspected of international crimes, while at the same time the German Federal Court rejected such a protection. The International Law Commission, which is currently discussing the issue in Geneva, needs to reaffirm strongly that immunity does not protect state officials when it comes to […]
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