War crimes

Ratko Mladic's Bosnian genocide trial begins (+video)

Former Bosnian Serb Army chief Ratko Mladic faces 11 counts of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. He is the last suspect from the 1992-95 Bosnian war to go on trial in The Hague.
As cluster bomb ban takes effect, the view from Laos

The cluster bomb ban – officially known as the Convention on Cluster Munitions – comes into force today. Countries that have ratified the treaty must stop making cluster munitions, dispose of stockpiles, and clear contaminated areas.
Africa Monitor
Sudan President Bashir, accused of war crimes, would be arrested in South Africa, says ANC

South Africa's ruling African National Congress said Tuesday that Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, who has been indicted on war crimes, would be arrested if he came to South Africa.
Khmer Rouge torture chief to appeal: Is he a chameleon or a contrite Christian?

Khmer Rouge torture chief 'Duch' converted to Christianity after overseeing the deaths in Cambodia of some 17,000 people in the late 1970s. He now plans to appeal a 19-year prison sentence, leading victims and even his own pastor to believe his invocations of Jesus Christ were a ploy to gain leniency in court.
Khmer Rouge executioner found guilty, but Cambodians say sentence too light

Khmer Rouge chief executioner 'Duch' was found guilty today by a UN-backed court. He could be out of prison in 19 years, even when many Cambodians say he deserved life in prison for his role in the Pol Pot regime.
American in Rwanda freed, but still faces genocide denial charge

American lawyer Peter Erlinder was released by a court in Rwanda. But he still faces charges that he denied the 1994 killing of 800,000 people is genocide.
Afghanistan peace jirga's unlikely critics: victims of war crimes

Some 1,500 delegates at Afghanistan’s peace jirga are debating how to reconcile with insurgents. But war crimes victims say their concerns are being buried.
Obama commits US to helping hunt for LRA leader Joseph Kony

President Obama signed a new law to help four African nations hunt down LRA leader Joseph Kony, who's followers have brutalized thousands over the past 23 years. Kony has been indicted for war crimes by an international court.
Serbia pursues Ejup Ganic for war crimes. Or is it a vendetta?

Serbia has asked Britain to extradite Ejup Ganic, a Bosnian leader who was briefly in charge of the country and its military forces. Serbia charges him of war crimes, claiming that he ordered Bosnian forces to kill wounded Serb-led troops in 1992. The Hague says otherwise.
Killings of Iraqi journalists: US says they were not war crimes

WikiLeaks posted a video Monday that shows two Iraqi journalists killed in a US attack. US Central Command has released its own probe, saying war crimes were not committed.
ICC to investigate Kenya election violence. Will leaders cooperate?

The International Criminal Court has told Luis Moreno Ocampo to investigate the role of senior politicians in 2008 Kenya election violence. But some are already suspected of working to undermine the ICC.
War crimes: Is Serbia's Srebrenica apology genuine?

In what is regarded as one of Europe's biggest war crimes since World War II, more than 7,000 Bosnian Muslims were massacred at Srebrenica in 1995 by Serb forces. Serbia's apology for Srebrenica has met with polarized response in a country still divided over its role in the massacre.
Seven years after Rachel Corrie death, her parents sue Israel

Seven years after US activist Rachel Corrie was hit and killed by a bulldozer driven by an Israel soldier, her parents are suing the Israeli military for culpability in the incident.
Afghanstan war: Are some Taliban ignoring Mullah Omar's ethics code?

Last summer, Taliban leader Mullah Omar issued a new ethics code for Taliban fighters. But two killings of Taliban hostages indicate that those moral guidelines for conducting the Afghanistan war are being ignored by some fighters.
Radovan Karadzic denies genocide charges at war crimes tribunal

Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, in the dock at The Hague on war crimes charges of genocide and ethnic cleansing, said Tuesday the charges against him are the result of lies and "tricks."
Israel says white phosphorus use in Gaza "exceeded authority"

On Friday, Israel said it had used the incendiary white phosphorus in the Gaza war and that two officers were reprimanded for "exceeding their authority."
Why Hamas is denying it targeted civilians in Israel

Ahead of a Feb. 5 deadline to respond to war crimes charges in the UN-sponsored Goldstone report, Hamas said it had meant to hit military targets last winter. Human Rights Watch disagrees.
Gaza war crimes charges: Britain to stem arrest warrants for Israel's leaders

Pro-Palestinian activists, who say Israel committed Gaza war crimes, had been seeking arrest warrants from Britain's lower courts for senior political and military leaders planning visits to the country.
Israel rejects UK war crimes warrant for Livni

Israel on Tuesday warned of a chill in ties after a British court issued an arrest warrant for former foreign minister Tzipi Livni for her role in alleged war crimes during Israel's Gaza war.
'Balibo Five' film tests free speech in Indonesia

Defying government censors, activists in Indonesia screened a film last week about the controversial 1975 killings of foreign journalists known as the Balibo Five. Organizers of an annual film festival are contesting the ban.
Khmer Rouge war-crimes trial of prison chief Duch closes in surprise twist

The Khmer Rouge war-crimes trial for regime leader Duch ended with a plea for acquittal. Some say the UN tribunal is in danger of falling apart due to political interference.
Charles Taylor war crimes trial gets mixed reviews in Liberia

During four months of testimony, Charles Taylor, the former leader of Liberia, denied committing war crimes. He said he was the victim of a US and British conspiracy. The prosecution now begins its cross-examination in The Hague.
Global News Blog
At Brandeis, Goldstone defends UN war crimes report

Justice Richard Goldstone, at a Brandeis University forum, defended the UN report on war crimes committed by Israel and Hamas in the Gaza war. It was the first time he has publicly discussed the report with a high-level Israeli official.
Goldstone report: UN votes for probe into Gaza war crimes

The UN General Assembly passed a resolution Thursday calling for a probe into alleged war crimes by Israel and Hamas in last winter's fighting in Gaza. The resolution is based on the UN Human Rights Council's Goldstone report.
The new US point man on war crimes: Stephen Rapp

New war crimes ambassador Stephen Rapp exemplifies Obama's deeper engagement on international law. His résumé includes prosecution of those who promoted genocide in Rwanda.