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
Category: feature interviews
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
Episode 77 – Darfur Roots with Rebecca Hamilton and Tajedin Abdallah Adam
Rebecca Hamilton and Tajedin Abdalla Adam come on the podcast to explain what is going on in Sudan and Darfur and how the International Criminal Court might come into play
Episode 76 – Virtual Legal Reality with Sarah Zarmsky, Brittan Heller and Shirin Anlen
Brittan Heller, Shirin Anlen, Sarah Zarmsky discuss opportunities and challenges of digital reconstructions in international courts
Episode 75 – Failures of Justice with Kate Gibson and Barbora Hola
Kate Gibson and Barbora Hola explain why eight men acquitted by the ICTR are stuck in Niger and why international justice is failing them
Episode 74 – Interventions for Aggression with Christian Wenaweser
Liechtenstein Ambassador at the UN Christian Wenaweser talk about the prosecution of the crime of aggression against Ukraine
Episode 73 – What About U.S.? with Beth van Schaack
Beth van Schaack on renewed US support to the ICC, crime of aggression in Ukraine and possible accountability in Liberia, Ethiopia, El Salvador
Episode 72 – Sex Crimes Education with Valerie Oosterveld and Kim-Thuy Seelinger
Conflict related sexual violence and gendered crimes – the basics – discussed by Professors Valerie Oosterveld and Kim-Thuy Seelinger
Episode 71 – Catching Dictators with Reed Brody
25 years after the Pinochet trial, listen back to Reed Brody on how he got into ‘Catching Dictators’ and -with victims – got justice for Chadian Hissène Habré
Episode 70 – Ukrainian War Crimes Trials with Ukrainian Judges
Ukrainian judges talk about how the national judiciary is coping with trying war crimes while at war
Episode 69 – International Humanitarian Law with Alphons Orie
Judge Alphons Orie on international humanitarian law as it meets international criminal tribunals
Episode 68 – Reverberations of Hawija with Lauren Gould and Machiko Kanetake
Lauren Gould and Machiko Kanetake discuss the consequences of the Dutch airstrike on Hawija Iraq.
Episode 67 – Staging an ICJ intervention with Juliette McIntyre
Self-professed ICJ procedure wonk Juliette McIntyre of the University of South Australia on the slew of interventions in the Ukraine Russia genocide case at the ICJ
Episode 66 – Documenting War Crimes with Anya Neistat and Eva Buzo
Anya Neistat and Eva Buzo discuss dangers of over-documentation and best practices in contexts like Rohingya refugee camp Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh and Ukraine.
Episode 65 – Deadly Journalism with Almudena Bernabeu
Will accountability for the targeting and killing of journalists ever be possible? We discuss with Almudena Bernabeu.
Episode 64 – Track and Trace with Serge Brammertz
UNMICT Prosecutor Serge Brammertz explains how they track fugitives alleged to be behind the Rwanda genocide.
Episode 63 – Wild Things with Olivia Swaak Goldman
Olivia Swaak Goldman talk about organised wildlife crime and how to prosecute it.
Episode 62 – Black and White, Chagos at the ICJ with Philippe Sands
Philippe Sands on what the Chagos legal battle tells us about race and international law.
Episode 61 – The Trouble with the Cambodia Tribunal with Megan Hirst
Megan Hirst tells Janet and Stephanie why she resiged from the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), how victims’ representation should work and some pros and cons of hybrid tribunals.
ICC 20th Anniversary with the Coalition for the International Criminal Court
Why do states sign up to the ICC and why not? 20 years down the line, Coalition for the International Criminal Court members talk us through Ukraine Philippines and more.
Episode 60 – Libya and the real EU refugee crisis with Sally Hayden and Marwa Mohamed
Journalist Sally Hayden and Libya human rights defender Marwa Mohamed talk refugee detention centres and crimes against humanity in Libya.
Episode 59 – When Your Beat Becomes a War Zone with Oksana Kovalenko
Ukrainian journalist Oksana Kovalenko explains how her work has changed during war, against the reality of air raids and petrol shortages.
Episode 58 – War reporting with Danny Kemp
Journalist Danny Kemp recalls finding the dead bodies in Bucha, and discusses the role journalists are playing in reporting war crimes in Ukraine.
Episode 57- International Justice Start-Up Junkie with Klaus Rackwitz
Klaus Rackwitz, a self-confessed start-up junkie, looks back at the beginning of the ICC and the Nuremberg legacy in relation to Ukraine.
Episode 56 – Believing in Guatemalan Women with Brisna Caxaj and Marlies Stappers
How did Guatemalan indigenous women achieve success in a rape case against former paramilitaries with Marlies Stappers and Brisna Caxaj
Episode 55 – Detour to Strasbourg with Molly Quell and Isabella Risini
An interstate case at the ECHR between Ukraine and the Netherlands versus Russia, with Molly Quell and Isabelle Risini.
Episode 54 – ISDS 101 with Tara van Ho
Janet and Stephanie sit down with Dr Tara van Ho to get a crash course in Investor State Dispute Settlements and the controversy around them
Episode 53 – Understanding Nuremberg with Diane Marie Amann & Francine Hirsch
We discuss the myths and realities of Nuremberg with Diane Marie Amann and Francine Hirsch
Episode 52 – International Law What? with Phoebe Okowa and Dapo Akande
Dapo Akande and Phoebe Okowa explain all things International Law Commission
Episode 51 – Drone Wars with Jessica Dorsey and Aditi Gupta
Jessica Dorsey and Aditi Gupta discuss the lack of transparent rules and secrecy of states in deploying armed drones.
Episode 50 – Partnering Justice with Maxine Marcus, Kathleen Roberts and Drita Hajdari
How to make sure that local prosecutors are equipped to tackle atrocity crimes? Maxine Marcus, Kathy Roberts and Drita Hajdari explain.
Episode 49 – Iranian Crimes, Swedish Justice with Aida Samani and Gissou Nia
A trial in Sweden for crimes committed in Iran shows the potential of universal jurisdiction in ensuring justice is served.
Episode 48 – Canada’s Reckoning with Ry Moran, Fannie Lafontaine, Karine Duhamel and Andrew Woolford
How is Canada facing up evidence of cultural genocide with the discovery of mass graves at former residential schools for indigenous children?
Special Episode – Asymmetrical Haircuts presents Lethal Autonomous Weapons: 10 things we want to know
The people behind the new podcast – Lethal Autonomous Weapons: 10 things we want to know (you can tell they are researchers) – came over to us at Asymmetrical Haircuts to tell us all about it
Episode 47 – Balkan Spies with Iva Vukusic and Marija Ristic
What the verdict on former Serbian Secret Service officials Stanišić and Simatović can tell us about the future of prosecution of war crimes in Serbia.
Episode 46 – ICC State of Mind with Diane Orentlicher and Dire Tladi
What’s the ICC’s state of health as the new prosecutor takes over? Diane Orentlicher and Dire Tladi discuss the big problems facing the court.
Episode 45 – Karim Khan and UNITAD
Incoming ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan talks about justice for Iraqi minorities after his three-year long position as Head of UNITAD.
Episode 44 – Lebanon Accountability with Olga Kavran and Aya Majzoub
Janet and Stephanie discuss Lebanon’s issues with ensuring accountability with Olga Kavran (ex-STL) and Aya Majzoub from Human Rights Watch
Episode 43 – Why be a Watchdog with Taegin Reisman and Jennifer Easterday
As IJMonitor stops watching the ICC, we ask Taegin Reisman and Jennifer Easterday why should we monitor atrocity crimes trials?
Episode 42 – Social Media on Trial with Yvonne McDermott Rees and Karolina Aksamitowska
How does evidence from social media lead to a war crimes conviction in Europe? Yvonne McDermott Rees and Karolina Aksamitowska tell us what’s been changing.
Episode 41 – Fatou Bensouda bows out at the ICC
Janet and Stephanie talk through quotes of the interview Stephanie had with outgoing ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda
Episode 40 – Truth-seeking in Ireland with Maeve O’Rourke and Mary Harney
Away from war crimes Janet and Stephanie look at advocacy for justice, truth and reparations in Ireland where thousands of unmarried women were forced into mother and baby homes run by the church or the state.
Episode 39 – Cinema Srebrenica with Alma Mustafic and Emir Suljagic
The Srebrenica massacre is the subject of a highly acclaimed movie Quo vadis, Aida?. We discuss with Alma Mustafić and Emir Suljagić, who were both there, how such a film helps define the image we have of a mass atrocity.
Episode 38 – Genocide Gap with Melanie O’Brien and Ewelina Ochab
Melanie O’Brien and Ewelina Ochab talk through the evidence of Uighur genocide in the western region of Xinjiang, denied by China. And states’ responses and responsibilities.
Episode 37 – Liberian Truths with Massa Emilia Washington and Emmanuelle Marchand
War crimes committed in the Liberian civil war is now being litigated via universal jurisdiction trials. Journalist Massa Washington and Emmanuelle Marchand from Civitas Maxima discuss universal jurisdiction cases in Switzerland and Finland.
Episode 36 – Bringing up the Bodies
How should we investigate mass graves? Kathryne Bomberger from the ICMP and the UN’s Agnes Callamard join us with a zoom audience to discuss the challenges facing states and victims’ families.
Episode 35 – Victims and the ICC Alphabet Soup with Lorraine Smith van Lin
Reparations expert Lorraine Smith van Lin shares expert views with us from a fascinating discussion into what needs to change at the ICC for victims.
Episode 34 – Distant Diplomacy with Milena Sterio and Maria Elena Vignoli
What happened at the ICC annual meeting? Milena Sterio and Maria Elena Vignoli analyse the covid-affected annual jamboree.
Episode 33 – Universal Jurisdiction Close Up with Sarah Finnin and Patrick Kroker
What barriers do victims of international crimes still face in getting access to justice in Europe? Srah Finnan from FIDH and Patrick Kroker from ECCHR fill us in on the obstacles.
The Prosecutor Files: Fergal Gaynor
It’s the biggest job in international justice: prosecutor of the ICC. Who will the next one be? Janet and Stephanie talk to the candidate Fergal Gaynor
The Prosecutor Files: Richard Roy
It’s the biggest job in international justice: prosecutor of the ICC. Who will the next one be? Janet and Stephanie talk to candidate Richard Roy.
Episode 32 – The Justice of Absence with Ilaria Zavoli and Natalie von Wistinghausen
Are trials in absentia fair? What’s it like to represent a client who you can’t talk to? Like at the Lebanon tribunal. We discuss with Natalie von Wistinghausen and Ilarai Zavoli.
Episode 31 – Jihad and Gender in Mali
How gender crimes feature at the trial of a Malian jihadist at the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Episode 30 – Calling Kosovo with Una Hajdari
Janet and Stephanie call Kosovo journalist Una Hajdari to see what the view from Pristina is on a busy few weeks with the first Kosovo court arrests
Episode 29 – The Activist Lawyer with Nadja Houben and Victor Fokke
Can one person make such a big impact on the world? Sir Nigel Rodley was an activist lawyer. We talk about a documentary inspiring audiences on human rights.
Episode 28 – Private Investigations with Nerma Jelacic
Private investigators collected evidence of atrocity crimes in places like Syria. Nerma Jelacic of CIJA explains what’s happening to that evidence now.