Now that the Kony 2012 furor has died down a bit, we can get back to the fun stuff: international law!
Here’s what’s gone on while we were all busy being self-righteous on the internet:
- The ICC handed down its first-ever verdict in the Lubanga case. If you’re wondering why it took 10 years, take a look at the >600-page judgment, reflect on the fact that this was a comparatively simple prosecution (a single accused, only one war crime charged), and start wondering instead how many decades it will take them to get through the next trial.
- Mauritania arrested former Libyan intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi, who is the subject of an ICC warrant for his role in crimes against humanity committed during the 2011 Libyan civil war. The ICC’s not the only court that wants him, though. Both Libya and France (which would like to try him for his role in an airplane bombing that killed 54 French nationals in 1989) have also requested his extradition. Step aside Kony, there’s a new contender for “World’s Most Eligible War Criminal.”
- International Investigating Judge (a.k.a. “the tweeting judge“) Laurent Kasper-Ansermet resigned from the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, citing interference with his work by the Cambodian government. Judge Kasper-Ansermet is the second international judge to quit in 4 months, so the Tribunal may have some trouble filling the post this time around. On the other hand, if you’re looking to break into the exciting field of war crimes judging…
- Home-grown war criminal Dick Cheney canceled a trip to Toronto because it was “too dangerous.” Aww, Canada…
I find it ironic that you call somebody who has never been charged or indicted, let alone convicted, a “war criminal”; and then on a blog about law and justice.