Sergey Vasiliev

"Governance of International Courts and Tribunals: Institutions, Practices, and Norms" now has its own OUP page.

Here's hoping some of these courts' governing bodies & like-minded states manage to avert the worst before this book comes out (and becomes an obituary). global.oup.com/academic/pro...

Iran: Massacre of protesters demands global diplomatic action to signal an end to impunity Verified videos and credible information from eyewitnesses in Iran reveal mass unlawful killings committed on an unprecedented scale amidst an ongoing internet shutdown imposed by the authorities sinc...

Clearly, crimes against humanity are being committed in #Iran.

"mass unlawful killings committed on an unprecedented scale amidst an ongoing internet shutdown imposed by the authorities since 8 January to conceal their crimes"—Amnesty International

www.amnesty.org/en/latest/ne...

Statement by the ASP Presidency concerning the receipt of the OIOS fact-finding report on alleged misconduct by the ICC Prosecutor The Presidency of the Assembly of States Parties informs that the fact-finding investigative report by the Office of the Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) on alleged misconduct by the ICC Prosecutor has been received by the President of the Assembly of States Parties on 11 December 2025 and has been forwarded immediately to the Panel of judicial experts established by the Bureau of the Assembly. The submission of the investigative report to the panel follows the procedure previously established by the Bureau and in no way provides any indication as to the findings of the report.The Panel will conduct an assessment under the legal framework of the Rome Statute, the Rules of Procedure and Evidence of the Court and relevant administrative instruments, in assistance of the Bureau’s consideration of the matter. The Panel will report to the Bureau via the President of the Assembly upon completion of its work, which is anticipated to take thirty calendar days, subject to the complexity of the issues. Once completed, the work of the judicial experts together with the OIOS report will be considered by the Bureau in accordance with the Rome Statute and the legal framework of the Court.The Presidency of the Assembly continues to call for due respect for the privacy and the rights of all parties concerned, as well as for the integrity of the ongoing process.The Assembly of States Parties is the management oversight and legislative body of the ICC. The Bureau of the Assembly consists of a President, two Vice-Presidents and 18 members elected by the Assembly for three-year terms. The Presidency of the Assembly is currently composed of Ambassador Ms. Päivi Kaukoranta (Finland), President, Ambassador Mr. Michael Imran Kanu (Sierra Leone), Vice-President, and Ambassador Ms. Margareta Kassangana (Poland), Vice-President.

It may be that, due to “the complexity of the issues,” the Panel of judicial experts is still determining the legal qualification, or that its final report has already been transmitted to the Bureau for consideration.

This is a chaotic time, yet this is also ongoing.
www.icc-cpi.int/news/stateme...

The 30-calendar-day period following the transmission of the #UNOIOS report on alleged misconduct by the ICC Prosecutor to the Panel of judicial experts set up by the ASP Bureau expired last week. There has been (and will be) no public communication regarding the completion of its legal assessment.

Today marks the 1419th day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine—longer than the period it took to defeat Hitler after he launched Operation Barbarossa.

3 years, 10 months, and 19 days.

This is not merely a "tragedy"; it is a crime. Putin and his cronies must end up in the dock.

Every EU Member State except Hungary agrees to trigger enhanced cooperation (ie some Member States using EU law without the others) re loan for Ukraine - proposal goes to European Parliament for consent

No Amazon, No Gmail: Trump Sanctions Upend the Lives of I.C.C. Judges President Trump’s retaliation against top officials at the International Criminal Court has shut them out of American services and made even routine daily tasks a challenge.

"But I can speak for my colleagues: We are not going to be intimidated."

ICC Registrar Zavala Giler: "...the risk of an operational disruption continues to be real."

No Amazon, No Gmail: Trump Sanctions Upend the Lives of I.C.C. Judges

"You’re completely crippled when it comes to booking hotels, trains, flights. You can’t buy dollars because your name is flagged. These coercive measures are intended to intimidate. They may have had a psychological impact on all of us judges."

ICC judges speak out against US sanctions again

Judge Prost: “You lose immediate access to all the main credit cards that go through the Swift system, which is controlled by the US. My Amazon & Google accounts were closed. You cannot pay for your utilities, your subscriptions."

De Rijksoverheid zoekt: (Sr.) Adviseur Internationale Hoven en Tribunalen en Internationale Misdrijven (Sr.) Adviseur Internationale Hoven en Tribunalen en Internationale Misdrijven in Den Haag voor 36 uur bij Ministerie van Justitie en Veiligheid

Vacature (Senior) Adviseur Internationale Hoven en Tribunalen en Internationale Misdrijven bij NL MinJenV, met accent op het opzetten van de voorbereidende fase van een #Agressietribunaal voor de vervolging van het misdrijf agressie tegen #Oekraïne.
www.werkenvoornederland.nl/vacatures/sr...

https://www.dfae.admin.ch/eda/en/fdfa/fdfa/aktuell/newsuebersicht/statements/stellungnahme-situation-in-venezuela.html

A good and clear statement—by the low standards of this era of appeasement—by Switzerland on Venezuela and violations of international law by the United States (though the US is not mentioned explicitly).

www.dfae.admin.ch/ed...

Withdrawing the United States from International Organizations, Conventions, and Treaties that Are Contrary to the Interests of the United States MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United

Trump has withdrawn the US from over 60 non-UN & UN organisations, including the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, ECOSOC commissions, Residual Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT), and the International Law Commission.

This is insanity.
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...

UN Experts: "the unprovoked use of armed force on Venezuelan sovereign territory is a clear breach of Art 2(4) of the UN Charter... It may also constitute the international crime of aggression attributable to the individual political and military leaders involved."
www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...

As it turns out, the quasi-legal pretext for invading another state, killing 80 people there, and abducting its (then) head of state had no basis in facts. Who would have thought?

Under the Donroe Doctrine, the United States can finally take its proud place as a regional imperial superpower that is no longer embarrassed to say so.

Had there been a Nobel Prize for Regime Change, Donald J Trump would have been passed over for that one, too.

#Venezuela #aggression #useofforce

It isn't about combating "narcoterrorism", but about the US securing access to Venezuelan oil, lithium, and other natural resources.

It isn't about promoting democracy, but about the US imposing its hegemony in the Western Hemisphere.

Brute force and extractivism—nothing else. #Venezuela

You attack another state, depose and abduct its leader, bring him and his family member to your own court, and indict them with multiple conspiracy charges.

Where is international law on the use of force and immunities in all of this?

At least, the US are not convening an "international tribunal".

So, 2026 starts off with an illegal regime change carried out by the US.

If the Trump administration maintains that this act was lawful under int'l law and a good precedent, it would expose Trump himself, Herzog/Netanyahu—or any other state leader—to similar military cum law-enforcement operations.

Art 21(1) TEU provides that the Union’s action on the international scene shall be guided by respect for the UN Charter and international law principles. Why's there not a word of condemnation of US act of aggression—nor even an expression of "concern"? Call things by their name or lose credibility.

Trump's United States is a rogue regime which purveys and enforces this #LawoftheJungle.

The credible international legal basis for the US attack on 🇻🇪 is non-existent.

This is a brazen state act and individual crime of aggression. Alas, no international court can currently exercise jurisdiction.

Today US carried out strikes against Venezuela. Reportedly, Delta Force captured 🇻🇪 ruler Maduro and his wife and shipped them out of the country.

Zero sympathy for dictatorships. But this operation is a flagrant breach of international law.

A rogue state enforcing the law of the jungle, anno 2026.

2025 was a disastrous year for human rights.

States failed to halt genocide and several major srmed conflicts. Prospects for a just peace remain illusory.

Let 2026 be the year of accountability and bring us the execution of all high-profile ICC arrest warrants.

A happier social construction!

This US administration began by sanctioning international civil servants—the elected officials of the ICC—and has now moved on to sanctioning a former European Commissioner. Will the EU continue to act as if nothing extraordinary is happening and fail to use its Blocking Statute?

The Israel Prison Service: "We are not aware of the claims described, and to the best of our knowledge, no such incidents have occurred under IPS responsibility."

When asked whether an investigation had been initiated into the alleged rape, BBC got no response.

This silence is telling.

Palestinians tell BBC they were sexually abused in Israeli prisons - BBC News Two men say they experienced the kind of abuse highlighted in recent reports on Israel's treatment of prisoners, which Israel denies.

"Two Palestinian men have told the BBC they personally experienced the kind of beatings and sexual abuse highlighted in recent reports into the treatment of prisoners in Israeli detention."
www.bbc.com/news/article...

Only criminal organisations retaliate against judges and prosecutors.

Only rogue regimes attack international courts for merely doing their job.

This has to be said. This is what Trump's United States and Putin's Russia are doing to the International Criminal Court, in the full view of the world.

It took only 3 days. The US reacts by designating two ICC judges. Rubio claims that the ICC engages "in politicized actions targeting Israel, which set a dangerous precedent for all nations". But it is Rubio who is attacking judges and rejecting equality before the law.
www.state.gov/releases/202...

The pretext for this unlawful coercive measure against the judges is their involvement in the Appeals Chamber, which recently rejected Israel's appeal. This is an act of direct retaliation. Rubio and his boss are unfamiliar with the concept of judicial independence.
ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actio...