feature interviews – asymmetrical haircuts

Justice Update – Who Answers for the Crimes of International Forces in Afghanistan?

How are countries reckoning with their role in the Afghanistan conflict and allegations of war crimes? We discuss various types of investigations currently taking place and what justice might look like going forward.

With Iain Overton, Thijs Bouwknegt, Ben Saul & Rachel Reid.

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Episode 130 – Gender Lens on Mali with Marta Valiñas

How did the ICC apply a gender lens to Timbuktu in northern Mali and come up with gender persecution as the alleged crime? With Marta Valiñas.
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Epsiode 129 – Sexual Violence in Sudan with Hala Al-Karib

Sudanese activist Hala Al-Karib speaks about the horrific, targeted and widespread violence against women in Sudan. Al-Karib says sexual violence is being used as a tool of war which “strips communities of everything, including their dignity.”
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Episode 128 – Justice & Accountability in Syria with Uğur Ümit Üngör

As Syria’s transitional government grapples with security issues, the long-term challenges of justice and accountability post-Assad remain crucial. While extensive documentation exists of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the civil war, efforts to pursue accountability have faced significant blockages at multiple levels, including attempts to refer the case to the ICC. Since the regime’s fall in December 2024, […]

Episode 127 – The Italian (Libyan) Job with Luigi Prosperi and Margherita Capacci

What happened between Italy, the ICC and Libya? Did Rome get it wrong? With Luigi Propseri and Margherita Capacci.

Episode 126 – Law Will Tear U.S. Apart Again with Oona Hathaway

Janet and Steph sit down with Oona Hathaway to ask if international law as a concept is still relevant and if such a seeming crisis would tear down the idea of the rule of law or if it might sharpen minds and build a new different consensus

Episode 125 – Enforced disappearances in Mexico with Omar Gómez Trejo

Omar Gómez Trejo, the former lead prosecutor of the Ayotzinapa case tell us about his investigation into the enforced disappearance of 43 students back in 2014, what we know now and why he had to leave.

Episode 124 – Genocide Network with Matevž Pezdirc

Janet and Steph met up with Matevž Pezdirc, who is the head of the Genocide Network Secretariat at Eurojust.

Episode 123 – Confronting Australia’s War Crimes Allegations with Major General Jeff Sengelman

An exclusive interview Major General Jeff Sengelman, the commander widely credited with initiating Australia’s landmark Afghanistan Inquiry into alleged war crimes.

Episode 122 – The Brereton Report: How Australia Grappled with War Crimes Allegations

The first in our series exploring how Australia has been confronted by allegations of war crimes in Afghanistan. We take an in-depth look at the Brereton Report.

Episode 121 – United States Universal Jurisdiction with Carmen Cheung

Carmen Cheung talks the United States approach to atrocity crimes

Episode 120 – Guantanamo Bay and the 9/11 Trial with Alka Pradhan

We talk to Alka Pradhan about her firsthand insights into the ongoing legal proceedings at Guantanamo Bay and her outlook on the 9/11 trial.

Episode 119 – Dealing with Secondary Trauma, part 2

Secondary trauma: lawyers. journalists and trainers explain in this podcast how awareness of mental health in the international justice field is shifting.

Episode 118 – Dealing with Secondary Trauma, part 1

In the first episode of our mini-series on secondary trauma for documenters of atrocity crimes, we talk to journalists, lawyers and trainers on how traumatic material can impact them and how they cope.

Episode 117 – Climate Justice via the World Court (#AOLetsGo) with Ralph Regenvanu

Vanuatu’s Special Envoy on Climate, Ralph Regenvanu explains why his small island state has turned to the ICJ for climate justice

Episode 116 – The Geneva Conventions on Trial with Gloria Gaggiola and Andrew Clapham

Can you put the Geneva Conventions on trial? We tried, with the help of the Geneva Academy, to explore why these 75 year old rules seem to be falling apart.

Episode 115 – Gender Apartheid with Karima Bennoune

We discuss gender apartheid and how it applies as a legal concept for cases concerning Afghanistan, with Karima Bennoune.

Episode 114 – A Tattered Star-Spangled Banner with Milena Sterio

It’s US presidential election time and we consider the american relationship to some of the big justice issues like Israel-Palestine and Ukraine, with Milena Sterio

Episode 113 – Sexual Torture with Alice Edwards

Sexual Torture is being used during conflict more and more says Alice Edwards the UN’s special rapporteur on torture.

Episode 112 – The Road to a New Crimes against Humanity Treaty with Leila Sadat and Priya Pillai

Leila Sadat and Priya Pillai explain why a new treaty for Crimes against Humanity matters for conflicts happening today.

Episode 111 – Claims Commissions 101 with Chiara Giorgetti

Chiara Giorgetti talks about the work, goal and legacy of Claims Commissions and how thys system can work in Ukraine.

Episode 110 – Dealing with Damages for Ukraine with Markiyan Kliuchkovskyi

What is the Register of Damages for Ukraine and how will it work?

Episode 109 – Israel’s treatment of Palestinian detainees with Tal Steiner

We speak to Tal Steiner from PCATI about the torture of Palestinians in Israel’s prison system.

Summer Collection 2024 – Catching Dictators

Reed Brody talks about his life and career in international criminal justice

Summer Collection – What about U.S.?

Stephanie and Janet sit down with Beth van Schaak to talk about the role of the United States in international criminal justice

Summer Collection 2024 – Perceptions of Evil

Kjell Anderson talks to Stephanie and Janet about Dominic Ongwen and other perpetrators of war crimes and genocide

Summer Collection 2024 – Understanding Nuremberg

Janet and Stephanie talk to Dianne Marie Amman and Francine Hirsch about the enduring significance of Nuremberg and the need for a new narrative

Episode 108 – Gender Norms in Ukraine with Kateryna Busol

War-time Ukraine has seen progress on gender discrimination – but LGBTQ+ people are still facing obstacles in the military & communication regarding loved ones on the battlefield. What else has changed? Last year the team did an interesting series together with our partners the Hogue Humanity Hub and UN women in Ukraine. They asked us to interview activists, experts and […]

Episode 107 – Ukraine’s Justice System under Strain with Nadia Volkova

Is Ukraine’s justice system up to the task of prosecuting the many thousands of war crimes it is investigating? Nadia Volkova explains.

Episode 106 – Russian Hate Speech with Ilya Nuzov and Anna Vyshniakova

How could Russian hate speech against Ukrainians be prosecuted at the ICC? With Ilya Nuzov and Anna Vyshniakova

Episode 105 – Prosecuting CRSV in Ukraine with Anna Sosonska and Anastasiia Moiseieva

Anna Sosonska of Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor General and Anastasiia Moisaieva of GRC talk about challenges of prosecuting CRSV in Ukraine.

Episode 104 – Laws of War 101 with Janina Dill

IHL expert Janina Dill discusses the myths and confusion around the rules of war.

Live show: The Hague – 125 Years of Peace and Justice

A special live episode discussing if the Hague and its institutions are still fit for purpose.

Special Episode – Anthony Deutsch joins The War Criminals Book Club

At the Patreon War Criminals Book Club, we asked Anthony Deutsch about his experience investigating the 1960s massacres in Indonesia carried out against communists, and his thoughts on the documentary The Act of Killing, which follows the same events.

Episode 103 – The End of UNITAD with Christian Ritscher

Christian Ritscher taks about wrapping up UNITAD mission in Iraq. UNITAD is the UN investigative mechanism to get accountability for crimes committed by Isis.

Episode 102 – Bonaire’s Climate Litigation – The Eco Files

Greenpeace expert Eefje de Kroon and planitiff Kjelld Masoud Kroon talk on the podcast about the climate litigation brought by the Caribbean island of Bonaire against the Netherlands

Episode 101 – Counting Casualties with Emily Tripp and Rachel Taylor

During conflicts where do the numbers we quote as journalists come from, who is collecting the data and how does it get used? With Emily Tripp and Rachel Taylor.

Episode 100 – Building a Universal Jurisdiction Movement with Mazen Darwish

Mazen Darwish is a former Syrian political prisoner, committed to getting accountability for international crimes, for now via Universal Jurisdiction cases across Europe.

Episode 99 – How People Become Perpetrators with Alette Smeulers

Alette Smeulers talk about the various types of perpetrators and how ordinary citizens can commit mass atrocities.

Episode 98 – Uncovering Myanmar’s Atrocities with Nicholas Koumjian

Challenges of coordinating when collecting evidence of war crimes in Myanmar with the Head of the UN’s IIMM Nick Koumjian.

Episode 97 – Eradicating Conflict-Related Sexual Violence with Pramila Patten

Pramila Patten, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict on challenges to prosecuting CRSV.

Episode 96 – A Special Tribunal for Ukraine with Gabija Grigaitė-Daugirdė

Lithuania’s Vice-Minister of Justice discusses progress on creating a Special Tribunal on the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.

Episode 95 – Adaptable Justice for Syria with Catherine Marchi-Uhel

Collecting evidence for crimes committed in Syria with head of the UN’s IIIM Catherine Marchi-Uhel.

Episode 94 – Women Creating Careers with Nathalie Mivelaz Tirabosco and Paige Morrow

On International Women’s Day: the career journeys of women working in international law.

Episode 93 – Yazidi Genocide Justice with Natia Navrouzov

Ten years on from the Yazidi genocide by IS fighters, we discuss what kind of accountability has been achieved for the thousands of dead and enslaved.

Episode 92 – Prosecuting Female Jihadis with Tanya Mehra

How have female jihadis returned from Islamic State been prosecuted across Europe.

Episode 91 – Gaza and Genocide at the World Court with Nada Kiswanson

What did the ICJ say about Israel’s obligations under the Genocide Convention and the rights that Palestinians in Gaza have to be protected?

Episode 90 – Convicting Suriname’s President with Reed Brody

We discuss the lengthy legal case and conviction of Suriname’s ex-president with Reed Brody.

Episode 89 – The Syria / Europe Connection with Hope Rikkelman and Fritz Streiff

New developments across Europe with investigations resulting in court cases about atrocities committed during Syria’s civil war.

Episode 88 – Prosecuting military actions with Carolyn Edgerton

We discuss how to prove and prosecute alleged war crimes committed during military campaigns in a court of law.

Episode 87 – Venezuela sequel with Dalila Seoane and Ignacio Jovtis

Dalila Seoane and Ignacio Jovtis tell us about the evidence they found of crimes against humanity in Venezuela and how it was possible to prosecute it in Argentina under the principle of universal jurisdiction

Episode 86 – Portraits of Women in International Law with Immi Tallgren

We speak with Immi Tallgren about her book ‘Portraits of Women in International Law’.

Episode 85 – Enforced Disappearance ‘firsts’ with Vony Rambolamanana and Ana Srovin Coralli

With Ana Srovin Coralli and Vony Rambolamanana we discuss how a Belarusian man who confessed and was tried for enforced disappearances was then acquitted in Switzerland.

Episode 84 – Cybercrimes as war crimes with Lindsay Freeman

Are Russian hacking attacks on Ukraine infrastructure war crimes and could they be charged at the ICC? Lindsay Freeman talks us through the issues.

Episode 83 – Armenia wages ‘lawfare’ with Melanie O’Brien

Dr. Melanie O’Brien discusses Armenia’s judicial moves to stop alleged genocide in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Episode 82 – Finally, Venezuela with Marta Valiñas and Joanna Frivet

Marta Valinas and Joanna Frivet on documenting crimes against humanity in Venezuela and analyse how the ICC is moving forward

Episode 81 – Ljubljana Legal Lobbying with Vaios Koutroulis and Raquel Saveedra

A new treaty – MLA – has been agreed to get states to investigate and try alleged war criminals

Episode 80 – Another BRIC(S) in the Wall with Hannah Woolaver and Allan Ngari

The potential visit by Russian president Putin to South Africa is reviving the debates about ICC member states arrest obligations, and ambivalent attitudes across Africa to the invasion of Ukraine.

Episode 79 – Kabuga’s Alternative Procedure with Lucy Gaynor

What next for Felicien Kabuga, unfit to stand trial for the Rwandan genocide, but possibly facing an alternative procedure never before heard of in international criminal tribunals.

Episode 78 – Ukraine’s Taken Children with Yulia Ioffe and Nathaniel Raymond

Janet and Stephanie talk about the methods used by the Russian government for the transfer of Ukrainian children to the Russian Federation and what legal classifications could apply with international law scholar Yulia Ioffe and war crimes investigator Nathaniel Raymond