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International crimes and accountability

International crimes and accountability

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.

  • Cluster

    Double Standards & Democracies

  • Cluster

    Repression & War

  • Cluster

    Justice & Memory

Cases (65)

  • Gaza – Arms exports – Germany

    No German weapons to Israel

  • Afrin – Syria – Crimes against humanity

    Crimes in Syria: The neglected atrocities of Afrin

  • Ukraine – War crimes – Mariupol

    War crimes in Mariupol: Justice for Lithuanian filmmaker

  • Ukraine – Crimes against humanity – Sexual violence

    Sexual violence by members of the Russian armed forces: Federal Public Prosecutor must investigate

  • Iran – Death Penalty – Crimes against humanity

    Criminal complaint against judicial authorities in Iran: German Federal Public Prosecutor must investigate crimes against humanity

  • Libya – Europe – Crimes against humanity

    Severe deprivation of liberty in the Mediterranean Sea and in Libya – The ICC must investigate

  • The Gambia – Crimes against humanity – Germany

    Proceedings on crimes against international law in The Gambia

  • Syria – Crimes against humanity – Military hospitals

    Proceedings against doctor Alaa M: Coming to terms with crimes in Syria continues

  • Libya – Migration – Crimes against humanity

    Migrants and refugees in Libya face crimes against humanity: The ICC must investigate

  • Belarus – Repression – Shrinking spaces and authoritarianism

    Anti-government protests in Belarus

  • Chechnya – Repression – LGBTQ

    The brutal persecution of LGBTQ in Chechnya

  • Argentina – Military dictatorship – Germany

    The case of Luis Kyburg – The prosecution of an Argentine military officer in Germany

  • Institute – Research & Academia – Lumumba

    Crimes during liberation wars: The Lumumba murder

  • Syria – Sexual violence – Air force intelligence

    Survivors: Sexual violence by Syrian intelligence services are crimes against humanity

  • Syria – Torture – Trial monitoring

    Trial updates: First trial worldwide on torture in Syria

  • Yemen – Arms exports – Europe

    Made in Europe, bombed in Yemen

  • Syria – Torture – Norway

    Norway: Syrian torture survivors file criminal complaint against Assad's senior intelligence officers

  • Syria – Torture – Al-Khatib trial

    First criminal trial worldwide on torture in Syria before a German court

  • Colombia – Repression – Human rights defenders

    Violence against human rights defenders in Colombia: The Hague should act

  • Syria – Torture – Sweden

    Sweden: Criminal complaint against Assad’s intelligence officials

  • Syria – Surveillance technology – Corporate responsibility

    Surveillance in Syria: European firms may be aiding and abetting crimes against humanity

  • USA – Torture – Gina Haspel

    Germany: Criminal Complaint against CIA Director Gina Haspel

  • Gaza – War crimes – Kilani

    Israeli air strikes in Gaza: No justice for the Kilani family

  • Syria – Torture – Austria

    The path to justice leads through Europe – e.g. Austria

  • Italy – Drones – Sigonella

    Sicily air base: Italy’s involvement in US drone program

  • Yemen – Arms exports – RWM Italia

    European responsibility for war crimes in Yemen

  • USA – Guantánamo – El Haski

    The El Haski case

  • Syria – Torture – Military intelligence

    Torture under the Assad regime

  • USA – Torture – El Masri

    Germany must enforce criminal prosecution of CIA agents and demand an apology and compensation for CIA victim El Masri

  • Uzbekistan – Torture – Almatov

    Criminal complaint against Zakir Almatov

  • USA – Torture – Rumsfeld

    The Rumsfeld torture cases

  • USA – Torture – Bush

    Criminal complaint against George W. Bush

  • Bahrain – Torture – Attorney General

    Torture allegations against Bahraini Attorney General

  • Colombia – Armed conflict – Trade unionist murders

    Colombia: Violence against trade unionists

  • Colombia – Peace process – Transitional justice

    Amicus curiae brief on command responsibility in Colombia’s Special Jurisdiction for Peace

  • Drones – Yemen – Ramstein

    Ramstein at court: Germany’s role in US drone strikes in Yemen

  • Italy – Double standards – Terrorism lists

    Counterterrorism and human rights

  • United Kingdom – Iraq – Torture

    War crimes by UK forces in Iraq

  • USA – Guantánamo – France

    France: Court must continue to pursue Guantánamo torture cases

  • Chile – Colonia Dignidad – Germany

    Colonia Dignidad remains a dark chapter of German legal history

  • USA – Guantánamo – Belgium

    UN Committee against Torture refuses to examine Belgium’s role in torture of former Guantánamo detainee

  • Colombia – Armed conflict – General Padilla

    The Padilla case and crimes against humanity

  • Bahrain – Torture – Prince Nasser

    British court confirms end of Bahraini prince’s immunity

  • Bahrain – Arab Spring – Torture

    Alleged crimes against humanity in Bahrain: Serious investigations must be initiated

  • Argentina – Military dictatorship – Minera Aguilar

    Involvement of mining company in crimes of the Argentine military dictatorship

  • Argentina – Military dictatorship – Ledesma

    Involvement of Ledesma sugar company in crimes of Argentine military dictatorship

  • Argentina – Military dictatorship – Mercedes Benz

    Mercedes Benz supported the Argentine military dictatorship

  • Argentina – Military dictatorship – Käsemann

    Justice at last: Judgment in the Elisabeth Käsemann case

  • Egypt – Arab Spring – Protests

    ECCHR demands adequate support for injured Egyptian demonstrators

  • Afghanistan – Kunduz – German armed forces

    Kunduz airstrike – German military goes unpunished

  • Colombia – Armed conflict – Sexual and gender-based violence

    Sexual violence in the Colombian conflict

  • Democratic Republic Congo – Armed conflict – Sexual and gender-based violence

    Groundbreaking trial in Germany

  • Drones – Pakistan – Germany

    The case of Bünyamin E in Pakistan

  • Philippines – Sexual and gender-based violence – Malaya Lolas

    Philippines: Sexual slavery during the Second World War

  • Serbia – NATO – Varvarin

    NATO airstrike on Varvarin bridge

  • Spain – Franco dictatorship – Baltasar Garzón

    Trial of Spanish judge Garzón

  • USA – Guantánamo – Spain

    Torture in Guantánamo: Spain closes investigations into “Bush Six”

  • Sri Lanka – Armed conflict – Sexual and gender-based violence

    Sexual Violence in Sri Lanka

  • Sri Lanka – Armed conflict – War crimes

    Sri Lankan civil war: Government officials still unpunished

  • Syria – Torture – Caesar

    “Caesar” photos document systematic torture

  • Syria – Torture – Saydnaya

    Saydnaya military prison – Objective is to physically and psychologically break detainees

  • Syria – Torture – Air force intelligence

    German authorities issue arrest warrant against Jamil Hassan, head of the Syrian Air Force Intelligence

  • Syria – Armed conflict – Lafarge

    Lafarge in Syria: Accusations of complicity in grave human rights violations

  • Chechnya – Torture – Impunity

    No justice in sight for grave crimes in Chechnya

  • USA – Torture – Maher Arar

    ECCHR supports “extraordinary rendition” case

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