All articles tagged with #war crimes
A 12‑year‑old Anatolii Prokhorenko in Chernihiv disabled a Russian fiber‑optic drone heading toward children after being taught by a soldier, highlighting the civilian toll of Russia’s drone campaign and the UN‑labeled war crimes of such attacks.
An Israeli Civil Commission report describes the Oct 7, 2023 attacks as the ‘weaponization of sexual violence,’ detailing systematic rape, assault and torture by Hamas and allied groups against civilians and hostages to maximize suffering. Based on 430 interviews, 10,000+ photos, and other records, the 300-page finding says these acts constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocidal acts, and it aims to preserve history and aid prosecutions; about 1,200 people were killed and 251 hostages were taken.
The Department of Justice filed civil denaturalization actions in multiple districts against 12 naturalized U.S. citizens who allegedly concealed criminal histories and ties to terrorism, including cases involving al-Qaida, war crimes, sexual abuse of a minor, and other offenses, seeking to revoke their citizenship under the Immigration and Nationality Act and restore integrity to the naturalization process.
A Croatian journalist’s book and prior reports allege that wealthy foreign visitors, including a member of European royalty, joined Sarajevo’s 1992–96 siege in “sniper safaris,” paying Serb handlers tens of thousands of marks to shoot civilians. The claims are based on documents and interviews, with routes allegedly traced from Croatia and Belgrade to the city. Investigations were opened in Italy in 2025, and U.S. political figures have voiced inquiries; by February 2026 an elderly Italian truck driver was reportedly being investigated as a suspect. The allegations remain controversial and unproven, though they have kept the wartime atrocity story in public discussion.
Lawyers for convicted Bosnian Serb war criminal Ratko Mladic request provisional or conditional release from The Hague prison due to serious illness and a high risk of imminent death, seeking treatment in a Serbian-language hospital or hospice; an independent health assessment has been ordered as judges consider the request.
A bomb in Russia’s remote Khabarovsk region killed one person and injured several, with Russian and Ukrainian media saying the strike may have targeted Major General Azatbek Omurbekov, commander of the 64th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade linked to civilian killings in Kyiv. If confirmed, it would mark another high-ranking Russian figure being targeted. A court remanded three suspects in the bombing; Kyiv has not commented. Western allies have previously sanctioned Omurbekov for alleged rights abuses in Ukraine.
The Venice Biennale jury ruled that national pavilions led by heads of state indicted by the ICC are ineligible for the festival's Golden and Silver Lions, effectively barring Russia's Vladimir Putin and Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu from the event's top prizes; the decision frames prize judging around international law, a move the Biennale defends as autonomous, while critics warn it risks politicizing art.
Syrian authorities arrested Amjad Youssef, a former military intelligence official suspected of masterminding the Tadamon massacre in 2013, in the Ghab plain near Hama. The arrest, hailed as a symbolic step toward accountability, follows leaked footage, sanctions from the US/EU, and years of investigative reporting, but questions remain about the fairness and reach of future prosecutions.
Syrian authorities say Amjad Youssef, identified as the main perpetrator of the 2013 Tadamon massacre in Damascus, has been arrested after a security operation; HRW says about 288 people were killed in Tadamon and video evidence shows the killings, with Youssef detained in Hama province.
Prince Harry traveled to Kyiv on a surprise visit to press the U.S. for faster, stronger backing of Ukraine, praising European support while insisting America must honor treaty commitments; he framed Russia's war as a battle between liberal democracies and authoritarian regimes and cited the forcible deportation of Ukrainian children as a war crime, then planned meetings with Invictus Games participants andHalo Trust.
Lebanon’s prime minister Nawaf Salam condemned an Israeli airstrike in southern Tayri that killed journalist Amal Khalil of Al Akhbar and wounded another, accusing Israel of war crimes for targeting media and hindering rescue workers; Israel says it does not target journalists and is reviewing the incident. The strike occurred during a fragile ceasefire with Hezbollah, drawing condemnation from the UN and CPJ as Washington prepares for further talks, and amid a prior US-announced 10-day Lebanon ceasefire.
Australia’s most decorated living soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, has been charged with five counts of murder related to Afghanistan deployments, including alleged killings of detainees, a handcuffed prisoner pushed off a cliff, and orders to have a rookie execute detainees during a practice dubbed 'blooding'; prosecutors claim evidence shows detainees were repeatedly restrained before being killed, while Roberts-Smith denies the allegations and the case is expected to take years in court, with strict bail granted pending trial.
Australia’s most decorated veteran, Ben Roberts-Smith, is released on bail amid war-crimes charges related to Afghan deaths, marking another chapter in a high-profile legal saga.
Former Australian special forces veteran Ben Roberts-Smith, a Victoria Cross recipient, was granted bail after 10 days in custody on five murder charges tied to Afghanistan operations between 2009 and 2012. He denies the charges and faces potential life imprisonment if convicted; prosecutors say the victims were not combatants and were killed in his presence or by subordinates under his orders, with the case now heading to trial.
More than 100 U.S.-based international-law experts published a letter accusing U.S. forces of LOAC violations in the Middle East and suggesting a school strike could be a war crime. This response agrees LOAC compliance matters but argues Section 2 relies on out-of-context claims and weak sources, urging that credible, fact-based investigations and full operational context are needed before labeling attacks as likely LOAC violations or war crimes.