Publications for War Crimes Committee
Beyond the farmland: classifying Fulani herdsmen attacks in Nigeria’s middle belt as international crimes
In the early hours of 23 June 2018, gunmen descended on the Berom farming village of Gashish in Barkin Ladi, Plateau State, Nigeria. At least 86 confirmed dead, with credible witness estimates exceeding 200; predominantly women, children, and elderly men who could not flee. The events in Gashish are not isolated; they represent a persistent pattern observable across Benue, Plateau, Kaduna, Taraba, Zamfara, and Nassarawa States for over a decade.
Released on Jun 3, 2026
The hidden weapons of war: protecting urban life and environment
This article examines the emerging legal frameworks of ‘ecocide’ and ‘civilizational erasure’ in the context of modern urban warfare. Weaponisation of atmospheric toxicity through strikes on high-capacity petrochemical reservoirs located within a massive city like Tehran, is no longer just a tactical move; it becomes a ‘silent weapon of mass destruction’. This argues for a shift in international law and a new mechanism for restorative justice and strict liability is proposed to protect nations scientific soul and environmental future from the ‘Rule of Ruin’.
Released on Jun 3, 2026
From policy to persecution: healthcare denial and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan
Since August 2021, the de facto authorities in Afghanistan have imposed a series of nationwide restrictions affecting women’s access to education, employment and healthcare. These measures raise the question of whether the cumulative denial of healthcare access to women may amount to the crime against humanity of persecution under Article 7(1)(h) of the International Criminal Court Rome Statute.
Released on Jun 3, 2026
Strategy of darkness: a weapon of war
In modern high-intensity conflict, the front lines are no longer confined to trenches and physical fortifications; they extend to the power switches and water pumps of civilian metropolises.
Released on Jun 3, 2026
Artificial intelligence, surveillance and war crimes in Africa: regulatory challenges for the African Union Commission
Artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced surveillance technologies are increasingly deployed in armed conflicts across Africa. These developments raise complex questions for international humanitarian law and international criminal law, particularly in relation to attribution of responsibility, evidentiary standards and civilian protection
Released on Jun 3, 2026
Let lawyers do their work: an analysis of the ICTR’s unfree acquitted and released men dying in detention in Niger
This article recounts the case of persons released on acquittal or after serving sentences at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), unable to reunite with their families in their countries of refuge, have been living under surreal circumstances where no law appears to apply. On 15 November 2021, the UN signed a bilateral agreement with Niger for their relocation so they could start a new life. However, since the UN transferred the men to Niamey in December 2021, they have been living under house arrest and under the threat of refoulement to Rwanda. The article explores the challenges faced by international criminal tribunals.
Released on Oct 31, 2025
Russia’s exploitation of children in the war in Ukraine
This article outlines the Russian tactic of exploiting Ukrainian children and young adults through Telegram, enticing them to conduct espionage, bombings, and even suicide bombings, by coercing them through money, gamification, and extortion. Some of these cases have resulted in children being injured or dying. These practices violate the Rome Statute and Geneva Conventions, which prohibit child participation in hostilities and coercion on any grounds, by stripping children of protected civilian status and weaponising their vulnerability. Current ICC warrants only address deportations, overlooking broader crimes against children in both occupied and unoccupied areas.
Released on Oct 31, 2025
Law on the frontlines: A reflection from the front row at the IBA War Crimes Committee Conference 2025
This article reflects on this year’s IBA War Crimes Committee Conference, ‘Law on the Frontlines’ which saw discussions on the intolerable risks of continued impunity for violations of international humanitarian law; the challenges and opportunities encountered to document attacks on civilian populations; the weaponisation of the digital arena and the challenges and opportunities it raises in the search for the truth; and the critical role that the law stands to play in the aftermath of the conflicts that must end.
Released on Oct 31, 2025
Webinar: Focus on the arms trade: state responsibility, accountability and private actor compliance
This article is a reflective summary on the IBA War Crimes Committee’s monthly webinar series titled ‘Focus on the arms trade: state responsibility, accountability and private actors compliance’. The article highlights the issue of arms trade and the relevant legal frameworks, under the arms trade treaty, human rights, humanitarian laws, UNGPs and international criminal law. It also highlights the challenges and gaps in implementation and enforcement of these frameworks from the perspectives of the obligation of arms companies; trends by the domestic courts and political discretion employed by the states.
Released on Oct 31, 2025
Yemen, Syria & Afghanistan: Case Studies in International Law, Peace, Justice, and Sanctions in Armed Conflict
A report on the War Crime Committee’s ‘Yemen, Syria & Afghanistan: Case Studies in International Law, Peace, Justice, and Sanctions in Armed Conflict’ conference, which took place on 27 Jun 2023 in London.
Released on Aug 3, 2023
Guantánamo Bay: an International Humanitarian and Criminal Law Perspective
Over 120 participants attended a panel hosted by the War Crimes Committee of the International Bar Association (IBA) on Thurs, 8 December 2022 to discuss Guantánamo Bay from an international humanitarian and criminal law perspective.
Released on Dec 21, 2022
IBA War Crimes Committee shines a light on corporate liability cases
Released on Nov 25, 2022
Arbitrary detention in Yemen during the Covid-19 pandemic
Many persons, whether civilian or otherwise hors de combat, remain detained by all sides to the conflict in Yemen. Their detention potentially violates several established provisions of international humanitarian law, international human rights law and may violate international criminal law. These detainees are reportedly kept in crowded and unsanitary conditions, thereby heightening the risks they face in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Released on Dec 1, 2021
The IBA War Crimes Committee’s submissions and recommendations to major multilateral conventions on atrocity crimes
Over the past two years, the IBA’s War Crimes Committee has been actively involved in efforts to strengthen the drafts of two major multilateral conventions focused on atrocity crimes. The first is the International Law Commission’s articles on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity, which could form the basis for the world’s first multilateral convention on the crime. The second is a state-led effort to create a multilateral convention on mutual legal assistance and extradition
Released on Jun 21, 2018
Crimes against the environment and international criminal law
Acts perpetrated during the course of warfare often lead to significant environmental destruction, particularly where the natural environment is intentionally targeted as a ‘victim’ or is somehow manipulated to serve as a ‘weapon’. Until recently, such acts were generally regarded as an unfortunate but unavoidable element of armed conflict. The existing international humanitarian law rules have done little to deter deliberate environmental destruction, particularly when measured against perceived military
Joint criminal enterprise in the Kosovo specialist chambers
In this article the authors discuss whether the KSC will follow the ICTY in interpreting article 16.1 of its statute to embrace the wide constructed liability of JCE III. They suggest there are good reasons why it should not: the terms of article 16.1 of the KSC Statute do not explicitly provide for JCE III. The ICTY Appeals Chamber read JCE III liability into article 7.1 of the ICTY Statute on the basis that it was ‘firmly established in customary international law’, yet JCE III has proved controversial a
Starvation and food insecurity in light of the Covid-19 pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic has heightened the risk of food insecurity and starvation, particularly in conflict-affected states. Governments and other organised groups should be held to account if they unduly restrict essential supplies from reaching populations in need.