Mathias Holvoet

Misbruik, manipulatie en achterdocht in de top van het Internationaal Strafhof in Den Haag VN-onderzoek: Tegen de hoofdaanklager van het Internationaal Strafhof loopt een onderzoek van de Verenigde Naties – een naaste medewerker beschuldigt hem van seksueel misbruik. Dit ging een rol spelen...

Aanklager van het Internationaal Strafhof beschuldigd van seksueel misbruik. Nieuw, uitgebreid onderzoek in @nrc.nl: www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2025/...

Great blog on digitally enabled international crimes.

Overall the problem with the Rome Statute system is that its authors made it so voluntary and optional—you can sign, unsign, and sign again; you can join, you can leave, join again; you can refer, you can defer. You can cooperate, you cannot cooperate. State governments will do all, did all & do all

Exclusive: ICC arrest warrant applications ready for Israel's Ben Gvir and Smotrich on apartheid charges The applications are in the hands of two deputy prosecutors in Karim Khan's absence, but ICC sources are concerned they will not submit them for fear of sanctions

Exclusive: ICC arrest warrant applications ready for Israel's Ben Gvir and Smotrich on apartheid charges

"The applications are in the hands of two deputy prosecutors in ... but ICC sources are concerned they will not submit them for fear of sanctions"

www.middleeasteye.net/news/icc-arr...

Ukraine to host foreign ministers to endorse 'special tribunal' for Russian leadership Ukraine will host a group of foreign ministers in Lviv on Friday to endorse the establishment of a special tribunal to prosecute the leadership of Russia, Belarus and North Korea for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, a senior Kyiv official said.

States to endorse on Friday the establishment of a special tribunal to prosecute leaders of Russia, Belarus and North Korea for the crime of aggression against #Ukraine. www.reuters.com/world/europe...

New applications for ICC arrest warrants in the Situation in Palestine—now regarding the West Bank—are on the way or may have been filed. But this time, if these reports are correct, the PTC judges ordered that warrants be requested

Exclusive: President Putin won't be tried for war crimes in absentia The special tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine is expected to be hosted in the Hague, the Netherlands. #EuropeNews

Future Special Tribunal for Ukraine will only hold in absentia trials for Putin and other high officials after they have left office. More on the Tribunal in following article: www.euronews.com/my-europe/20....

I was interviewed by DW on the Netanyahu visit to Hungary. Read the article below 👇.

How the High-Stakes Arrest of Rodrigo Duterte Unfolded (Gift Article) The man who ordered the Philippines’ bloody war on drugs is now in a cell at The Hague. Getting him there was far from a sure thing.

How Duterte was arrested and brought to the #ICC: lots of waiting in the airport lounge with rice, barbecued meat, and Coca-Cola.
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/20/w...

Great!!

Thanks, makes total sense. I am curious to see whether CoE and EU will push through with establishing Special Tribunal.

Is a Special Tribunal viable without US support you think?

Must read about the politicking in the Al-Masri case.

Former #Philippines President Mr Rodrigo Roa #Duterte — suspected of crimes against humanity — is scheduled to appear before Internaitonal Criminal Court, #ICC, judges tomorrow (Friday 14 March) at 14:00 ('s-Gravenhage, local time) www.icc-cpi.int/sites/defaul...

Very informative article.

A short piece for Opinio Juris, based on today's news of the arrest of Rodrigo Duterte for the #Philippines "war on drugs".
#ICC #accountability

opiniojuris.org/2025/03/11/a...

Not going to parse language or explain context. Just note what is being said/implied in light of the following definition of the ‘crime against humanity of deportation or forcible transfer’:

Press release: The Special Tribunal will be established by an agreement between the Government of Ukraine & the Council of Europe (COE). It will derive its jurisdiction from Ukraine. The COE will be in charge of the procedure for adoption of the draft legal instruments.
ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

Italy, Libya, and the Failure of State Cooperation with the International Criminal Court in the Elmasry Arrest Case The decision to release Osama Elmasry Njeem and fly him back to Libya immediately drew widespread outrage in Italy and beyond.

Italian authorities arrested Osama Elmasry Njeem based on a warrant from the International Criminal Court. But instead of transferring him to The Hague, he was sent to Libya.

Chantal Meloni analyzes how the case impacts cooperation between States and the ICC.
www.justsecurity.org/107175/italy...

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni says she is being investigated for repatriating a Libyan warlord Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni says says that Rome prosecutors have opened an investigation against her and two government ministers for repatriating a Libyan warlord wanted by the International Crimi...

BREAKING: Prosecutors in Italy have opened an investigation into Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and two ministers for sending a Libyan warlord wanted by the ICC back home rather than to The Hague.

Excellent post indeed!

If only he would have stayed in Germany to watch a Bayern Munich match…He would probably be in The Hague right now 🙃.

Every detail about who orchestrated Almasri’s release and subsequent repatriation needs to be uncovered.

Very useful 🧵 on Al Masri-Italy-ICC saga.

Yes, definitely needs to be clarified. I fear the sinister scenario is more plausible.

Is there any legal basis for this ‘procedural error’, or did they try to come up with a ‘nice’ argument?

Yes, fully agree, definitely knowing the current Italian government and possible complicity of Italian government in crimes committed in Libya.

More details on ‘irregular’ arrest of Al Masri. More details needed on Italian legislation on cooperation with ICC to ascertain whether this can be valid and sufficient reason to declare arrest ‘irregular’, leading to liberation of suspect.

As detailed in the article above, Al Masri appears to have been liberated already and has been repatriated to Tripoli. Court of Appeal in Rome found ‘procedural violations’, perhaps the arrest was carried out illegally/arbitrarily?

Libyan general arrested in Turin on ICC warrant for alleged war crimes Arrest of Osama Najim puts spotlight on pact with Italy amid claims he used detained migrants in ‘a form of slavery’

More details on potential new ICC defendant in @theguardian.com article below.