In a significant step toward accountability for international crimes, the Lisbon Court of Appeal in Portugal issued a historic conviction against two brothers, former members of the Islamic State (ISIS), Ammar Ameen and Yaser Ameen, for their involvement in terrorist activities and crimes committed in Iraq after ISIS’s 2014 offensive and the takeover of Mosul...
The 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly comes at a decisive moment for the international system. Under the motto “Together we are better: more than 80 years in the service of peace, development, and human rights”, the international community prepares to reflect on past achievements and, above all, to renew its commitment to...
The Danish Parliament approved a legislative reform on December 17, 2024; this historic action introduced a new chapter on international crimes into the country’s Penal Code. This amendment, which came into effect on January 1, 2025, explicitly criminalizes war crimes, torture, and crimes against humanity, consolidating Denmark’s commitment to the principle of universal jurisdiction. The reform...
Since September 1, the Independent Authority for the Protection of Informants (AAI) has officially begun operating, a new body created by the Government with the aim of providing guarantees to those who report irregularities in the public or private sector. The launch of this institution stems from Law 2/2023, approved in February 2022, which transposes...
Recently, the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances published a highly significant study on universal criminal jurisdiction in cases of enforced disappearance. The report examines the normative foundations, practical and political challenges in its application, as well as the situation in various countries, including Spain. The debate on universal jurisdiction in cases of...
In 2011, the brutal repression of peaceful demonstrations by the Syrian regime marked the beginning of an armed conflict that has left a deep scar on contemporary history. Two years later, in 2013, the situation escalated when the UN Mission to Investigate the Use of Chemical Weapons in Syria confirmed the use of sarin gas...
In July, the United Nations Human Rights Committee adopted its seventh periodic report on Spain, which provides an in-depth analysis of the country’s compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Among the recommendations issued, a strong call stands out to intensify the fight against impunity and to guarantee truth and reparations...
Commemorating the victims of Nazism and Stalinism today is essential. Not only because the victims and survivors of such systems of hatred and repression deserve it, but also because we are witnessing a rise in extremist rhetoric in Europe that is very reminiscent of that which was promulgated on the continent during the 20th century. Discourse...
At the end of July, the League of Arab States hosted a symposium in Cairo titled “Activating the Role of National Courts in Prosecuting Perpetrators of International Crimes as a Guarantee to Combat Impunity.” The event, held at the League’s headquarters, was organized by the Arab Center for Legal and Judicial Research—an entity affiliated with...
In july, the United Nations Human Rights Committee adopted its seventh periodic report on Spain, evaluating the country’s compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Among its numerous recommendations, the Committee emphasized the urgent need to intensify efforts to prevent and combat corruption at all levels of the State. The Committee positively acknowledged...
