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.

Justice Update – Duterte in The Hague

Former President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte has been arrested for crimes against humanity. Stephanie and Janet discuss how it happened and what it means for the ICC

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.

Justice Update – Accountability for International Crimes in the Democratic Republic of Congo

What are the prospects for accountability right now for the alleged crimes being committed in eastern DRC?

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 121 – United States Universal Jurisdiction with Carmen Cheung

Carmen Cheung talks the United States approach to atrocity crimes

Justice Update – Hello 2025

2025 looks set to be a difficult year for international justice institutions.

Justice Update – Festive Favourites Roundup

We take a look back at our favourite episodes from 2024.

Justice Update – ICC Tribulations and Syria Joy

Catch up with the latest news from the ICC and new developments in Syria

Justice Update – ICC Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant and Deif

Arrest warrants out of the ICC for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza and Israel against Netanyahu, Gallant and Hams leader Deif – what does it all mean?

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.

Justice Update – 30 years Since ICTR Founded

It was 30 years ago that the Rwanda Tribunal was established after the genocide. What were the issues and how is it seen now?

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.

Justice Update – Molly meets the Ukraine Evidence Gatherers

In the middle of the war in Ukraine, how are the evidence-gatherers operating? Molly Quell investigates.

Justice Update – ICC Sharpens its Focus on Belarus

Lithuania has sparked an ICC a preliminary inquiry by submitting a referral to investigate Belarus for crimes against humanity.

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 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.

Justice Update – Ukraine (Nearly) Joins ICC and Invades Russia

Iryna Marchuk discusses Ukraine’s membership of the ICC and Craig Martin explains the legalities of Ukraine’s recent invasion of Russia.

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

Justice Update – All Amici Aboard Palestine Israel ICC

Israel Palestine the ICC and the legal issues that are emerging: a debunk on complementarity with Kevin Jon Heller and what about that UK intervention with Leila Sadat

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.

Justice Update – ICC’s Khan Applies for Arrest Warrants Israel and Hamas

What just happened with the ICC application for arrest warrants in Israel Palestine? And what does it mean?

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 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.

Justice Update –  Record Reparations for Ugandan Victims

We discuss the ICC’s record reparations ruling for victims of Uganda’s convicted militia leader Dominic Ongwen.

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 92 – Prosecuting Female Jihadis with Tanya Mehra

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

Justice Update: Lafarge Lundin Legal Liability

French cement company LaFarge faces charges of complicity in crimes against humanity. What’s chnaging in corporate responsibility for human rights violations?

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.

Justice Update – Season’s streamings: Our end of year picks

We look back at some of our most thought provoking episodes from 2023 and play you some of the highlights.

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

Justice Update – Israel Palestine and International Law

What are the limitations of international law institutions during the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

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

Justice Update – Landmark Lundin trial

A rare case of corporate responsibility for war crimes in Sudan, prosecuted in Sweden against Lundin oil executives.

Summer Collection 2023 – Uncomfortable Justice with Lisa Clifford

Filmmaker Lisa Clifford on the trial of Germain Katanga

Summer Collection 2023 – Canada’s Reckoning with Ry Moran, Fannie Lafontaine, Karine Duhamel and Andrew Woolford

Experts from Canada discuss the state’s responsibility for crimes against humanity against indigenous children and the efforts to find the truth.

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

Justice Update – Septuagenarian Serbian Spies

The final Hague trial dealing the wars in the former Yugoslavia.

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

Justice Update – Universal Jurisdiction

Universal Jurisdiction cases for atrocity crimes – are they the new norm?

Justice Connection – Kosovo Timewarp

Former Kosovo president is on trial in The Hague – Janet and Stephanie outline the case

Justice Update – Migrant traffickers on trial in Europe

How come two Eritrean men are on trial in Italy and the Netherlands connected to human trafficking in Libya? With Gerben Wilbrink for the Dutch prosecution, Giorgia Righi for the Italians, and Nicole Samson for an ICC perspective.

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

Justice Update – Ongwen ICC Appeal Reactions

Janet and Stephanie assemble a panoply of lawyers, activists and on-the-ground observers to talk about the Ongwen appeals decision at the ICC

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

Justice Update – Kenya Crimes against Humanity

How will Kenya prosecute post electoral crimes against humanity committed in 2017? Kathy Roberts and Maxine Marcus explain

Episode 65 – Deadly Journalism with Almudena Bernabeu

Will accountability for the targeting and killing of journalists ever be possible? We discuss with Almudena Bernabeu.

Justice Update – Awful Anniversaries

The latest on Myanmar Syria and Ukraine accountability.

The Summer Collection 2022 – Why be a Watchdog with Taegin Reisman and Jennifer Easterday (repeat)

Taegin Reisman and Jennifer Easterday on why should we monitor atrocity crimes trials

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.

Justice Update – Prison Life in North Korea

Torture and other crimes amounting to crimes against humanity are being committed in the North Korean penal system, says the NGO Korea Future which documents the alleged abuses

Justice Update – First Darfur trial at the ICC

Emma DiNapoli discusses the start of first Darfur trial at the ICC.

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 53 – Understanding Nuremberg with Diane Marie Amann & Francine Hirsch

We discuss the myths and realities of Nuremberg with Diane Marie Amann and Francine Hirsch

Justice Update – A Colombian Affair

Mariana Casij Peña guides us through the fascinating experiment in transitional justice in Colombia.

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

Justice Update – Afghanistan Victims in Limbo

What’s happening in Afghanistan to human rights defenders, and what’s happening at the ICC in their investigation into war crimes? Janet investigates

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.

Justice Update – Darfur at the ICC: Mr “tough fibre” or not?

We discuss the first ever Darfur trial at the ICC, with the confirmation of hearing of Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-al-Rahman for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

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

Justice Update – Sarah Kasande on Ongwen at the ICC

Janet and Stephanie talk to Sarah Kasande about what victim communities in northern Uganda made of Dominic Ongwen’s two hour statement to the ICC ahead of his sentencing

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.

Justice Update – Myanmar on our Minds

Janet and Stephanie talk to Yasmin Ullah, Laetitia van Assum and Mike Becker about the impact of the Myanmar coup on accountability efforts for crimes against Rohingya

Justice Update – Israel Palestine and the ICC

Janet and Stephanie pick through the ICC prosecutor’s announcement that she will open a formal probe into war crimes committed in the Palestinian territories with Chantal Meloni, Sharon Weill and Yael Ronen.

Justice Update – First LRA verdict

Former Ugandan rebel commander Dominic Ongwen is found guilty. Horrendous crimes. But his former child soldier status fascinates commentators.

The Prosecutor Files: Robert Petit

Janet and Stephanie kick off 2021 with another interview for our Prosecutor Files series. We talked to Robert Petit, one of the five additional candidates for ICC prosecutor

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.

Justice Update – Double K: Kenya and Kosovo back in The Hague

Catch up with what’s happening at the Kosovo tribunal and in a Kenya bribery case at the ICC.

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

Justice Update – Myanmar and more

Fresh developments at both ICC and ICJ on Myanmar, in discussion with Priya Pillai. Plus US sanctions against the ICC prosecutor.

Justice Update – Legal Contortions

How can the ICC take on alleged crimes against the Uighur Muslim community when China is not a member and would it be a good idea?

Justice Update – A Small Town in Germany

A German court in Koblenz is hearing a landmark crimes against humanity case against two people alleged to be former Syrian intelligence officials. We spoke to Balkees Jarrah and Sara Kayyali from HRW on this huge news of the first time the Syrian state apparatus is on trial.

Episode 22 – Calling starvation what is is, with Catriona Murdoch

Starving people to win a war is a crime. But what kind of evidence is needed to prosecute it? Barrister Catriona Murdoch explains.

Justice Update: Is Sudan’s Bashir ICC-bound?

This week it appeared that ousted Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir might be transferred to The Hague to face charges of crimes against humanity and genocide for his army’s crackdown in Darfur.
Janet and Stephanie talk through the latest developments.

Justice Update – Dessert at the ASP

Janet and Stephanie wrap up the annual meeting of the International Criminal Court – the ASP – with help from Emma Bakkum of PILPG, who has been monitoring discussions about a new strategic review.

Episode 1 – Justice on the Cheap, with Celeste Hicks

We discuss the trial of former Chadian dictator Hissene Habre with journalist Celeste Hicks