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17 November 2026, Brussels

International crimes committed in Southwest Asia: The need for a stronger response by the EU and its member states

Brussels
17 November 2026, 3:00 pm

When: 17 November, 3-5pm, doors open at 2.30
Where: Atelier 29, Rue Jacques de Lalaing 29, 1000 Brussels & online (Hybrid)
Register here

From Israel’s genocide in Gaza to the Iranian government’s brutal repression of protests, grave violations of international law across Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Syria and Iran continue with little accountability. Too often, states, armed groups and corporate actors have been implicated in serious violations of international law, while civilians pay the highest price.

The European Union (EU) and its member states have a crucial role to play in breaking this cycle of violence and impunity. Yet accountability remains the exception rather than the rule, particularly where politically powerful actors or their allies are implicated and the international justice system is under attack. This lack of justice enables further violations and erodes trust in international law and its institutions at a time when they are needed most.

ECCHR’s new policy paper International crimes committed in Southwest Asia – The need for a stronger response by the EU and its member states examines efforts by the International Criminal Court (ICC), national war crimes units and civil society to close these accountability gaps. It sets out concrete recommendations for the EU and its member states to strengthen international justice, hold perpetrators to account, and ensure that they do not contribute to international crimes.

Expert discussion: From impunity to accountability

Panel contributions from:

  • Prof. Elies van Sliedregt, Joined Up Justice and Tilburg University. How can the EU strengthen the international criminal justice ecosystem? The role of international, national and EU criminal law amid sanctions against the ICC.  
  • Dr. Yoav Shemer-Kunz, B’Tselem. How impunity enabled Israel’s crimes against Palestinians.  
  • Dima Samaro, Tech and Human Rights Researcher. Complicit in international crimes? European companies, Israel’s AI-powered warfare, and the need for accountability.
  • Andreas Schüller, ECCHR. Overcoming double standards and the role of CSOs in activating the international criminal justice ecosystem via legal means.
  • Moderation: Florentina Pircher, ECCHR
     

We look forward to your participation in the discussion. Registration is required for both in-person and online participants.

The event takes place in the context of ECCHR's work within the Global Initiative against Impunity.  

Read the policy paper here.

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