The International Criminal Court (ICC) has long been under fire for almost exclusively selecting and prosecuting cases on the African continent. Critics of the only permanent criminal tribunal of its kind have pointed to atrocities committed in Iraq, Argentina, or Ukraine as evidence that the ICC is not so much an impartial body, holding governments […]

The average person can turn on the nightly news any day and see stories of terrifying acts—and clear crimes—ranging from the bombing of children in Syria to the massacre of Tamils in Sri Lanka. But if one were to refer only to the cases brought by the International Criminal Court (ICC), they would be left […]

The withdrawal of Burundi, Gambia and South Africa from the International Criminal Court (ICC) has reignited an old discussion: whether the Court unfairly targets African states and citizens for prosecutions. The ‘African bias’ critique adopts different forms, ranging from neo-colonialist (“the Court seeks to control African politics through ICC investigations and prosecutions”) to realist (“the […]

BY ANA DIAMOND Syrians, not too long ago, were a nation known for their rich cultural heritage, commerce, and diversity. Their country was home to one of the world’s ancient civilizations, and even in the 20th century it was frequently featured as an exotic tourist destination. Today, only the remains of many historic cities and […]

The Tariff Act of 1930 in the United States precludes the purchase of goods made from forced labor. One would expect that this piece of legislation not only comports with American values, but also incentivizes producers to comply with international norms regarding labor practices. Nothing could be further from the truth. Modern-day slavery persists. The […]

BY CHRISTIAN ASANTE The first time I spoke to Sandra, we were both studying in the library. President Trump had assumed office five days earlier, and his string of executive orders consumed student conversations. Sandra asked me to watch her things for a few minutes, and when she returned, I struck up a conversation. “What […]

Remarkable changes are afoot in Ireland: a government-appointed citizens’ commission seems poised to recommend pivotal reforms that would liberalize the country’s near-total ban on abortion. Ireland is a country where the anti-choice movement has remained fierce and powerful even as the rest of the world moves towards decriminalizing abortion and the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution […]

Fareed Yasseen, Iraq’s ambassador to the US, is optimistic about defeating ISIL – but sees several structural threats to Iraq’s stability.

Water is the cornerstone of human life – but what happens to countries when they start running out of “blue gold”?

Trump prides himself on his deal-making abilities, but securing “the ultimate deal” between Israelis and Palestinians presents major challenges.

This article is being published in collaboration with the Harvard Law & Policy Review (HLPR). BY MASEEH MORADI* The recent immigration executive order promises in its title to protect “the nation from foreign terrorist entry.” It does so by barring the entry of, among hundreds of millions of others, all of my aunts, uncles, and […]

On January 1, 2017, an Iranian official called for the sterilization of sex workers and homeless drug addicts in Iran’s capital city, Tehran. The official, Siavash Shahrivar, the head of the Social and Cultural Affairs Department in Tehran Governorate, introduced this recommendation as a policy that would prevent social harm. Emphasizing that this should not […]