Impunity for crimes against international law means that torture, extrajudicial killings by drones and sexualized violence in armed conflicts are not investigated or brought before the courts. It might be obvious that dictatorships violate human rights. But even democratic governments sometimes fail to adequately uphold their human rights commitments. Whether through complicity or self-interest – politics and power often trump law and justice. ECCHR fights impunity for such crimes through strategic legal interventions.
In the case of grave crimes against international law, going before the International Criminal Court is not the only option. In some cases, a complaint to a regional body like the European Court of Human Rights or a national court might be the best approach for challenging serious, systematic human rights violations.