Yousuf Syed Khan

Colleagues and friends in Geneva, we look forward to welcoming you to this vital #HRC60 panel discussion and Q&A, co-sponsored by ICJ and P4HR.

We’ll explore starvation as a war crime, crime against humanity, or act of genocide, and unpack patterns and recent developments. We hope to see you there.

Spyware blasts: Strict liability for abnormally dangerous activities This report explores applying strict liability for abnormally dangerous activities to spyware abuses in California and the UK.

Breaking!

The SLP’s newest report is NOW available online – exploring how one theory of civil liability can be used to pursue accountability for past and ongoing abuses.

Full report available below ⬇️
www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-res...

EJIL: The Podcast! Episode 36: The Scourge of War In this episode, Dapo Akande, Marko Milanovic and Philippa Webb are joined by Tom Dannenbaum to discuss two sets of issues. First, the legality of the use of force by Israel and the United States agai...

Join Dapo Akande, Marko Milanovic and Philippa Webb in a riveting conversation with Tom Dannenbaum on EJIL: The Podcast!
They discuss the use of force by Israel and the US against Iran, and the ECHR Grand Chamber judgment Ukraine & Netherlands v. Russia

www.ejiltalk.org/ejil-the-pod...

The Strategic Litigation Project is honored to welcome Ambassador Beth Van Schaack, who served as the United States Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice from March 2022 to January 2025, as a Distinguished Fellow.

Read her bio below ⬇️

After ISIS: Insights into Post-war Gaza Humanitarian Camps As Gaza faces one of the most severe

What might come after the Gaza war? Drawing lessons from Syria (replicated in Ukraine), my analysis for @icct.bsky.social unpacks how “temporary” humanitarian camps risk becoming long-term internment sites, fuelling future instability. With thanks to @tanyamehra.bsky.social

icct.nl/publication/...

🚨 #Gaza: Two legal submissions by TRIAL International request Swiss authorities to monitor the activities of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. 👇

trialinternational.org/latest-post/...

In a question posed by @jessicadorsey.bsky.social to upwards of 50 military lawyers at the annual conference of the International Society for Military Law and the Law of War in Galway, only one considered that the principle of proportionality is being applied meaningfully.

A grim state of affairs.

U.S. Aid Cuts Make Famine More Likely and Easier to Hide | Crisis Group The Trump administration has put a 90-day hold on most U.S. foreign aid, with devastating effects on the system built over decades for preventing famine. The result may be more and deadlier famines, w...

Good overview of the devastating impact of US aid cuts, including on FEWS NET (bonus: cites brilliant @tomdannenbaum.bsky.social on siege starvation as a war crime of "societal torture"):

In and Around War(s): Season 3, Episode 4: Food Insecurity in Armed Conflict In this episode of the In and Around War(s) podcast, Yousuf Syed Khan, Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, joins Academy Research Fellows Eugénie Duss and Francesco Romani to discuss th

Thanks to @francescoromani.bsky.social and @eugenie-duss.bsky.social for the chat, and the opportunity to unpack/ scratch the surface of the contours of starvation as a method of warfare. @genevaacademy.bsky.social: soundcloud.com/geneva-acade...

NEW: Ukrainian and US officials continue to negotiate the terms of temporary ceasefires on Black Sea operations and energy infrastructure strikes, indicating the ceasefires are *not* yet fully codified. (1/2) isw.pub/UkrWar032925

Privileged to have participated: On 27 March, the Syrian Mission sponsored its first-ever side event, at the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, co-hosted by Legal Action Worldwide (LAW) and the Syrian Forum: “Towards a Holistic Accountability Framework for Syria: Is It Possible?”

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Gaza food prices soar after Israel halts aid deliveries The UN says at least 80 community kitchens may run out of stock, and remaining food rations will soon run dry.

“After the halt of aid in response, OCHA said on Tuesday that some community kitchens which remain operational ‘will need to start to adjust meal content or reduce the number of meals prepared to cope with anticipated shortages’.”

Looking forward to speaking at this important side event on PMSCs, where I’ll discuss investigations, analysis, and address challenges and opportunities in fact-finding evidence and accountability. @gpplatform.ch @genevaacademy.bsky.social

💯

Grateful to become part of the vibrant @jrapidresponse.bsky.social community as a Prosecution Expert in

⚖️ Crimes affecting cultural heritage
⚖️ The law of occupation

Both stand as vital for protecting community identity and history. Looking forward to continuing to support justice efforts with JRR.

👏 Huge congratulations to @abclapham.bsky.social, our first director, for winning the 2025 Paul Reuter Prize for his book 'War', that was presented in a ceremony at the @icrc.org yesterday evening.

📖 'War' is now available for everyone to read on open access here: lnkd.in/et57NPJP

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼!

U.S. funding freeze threatens Ukraine investigations of alleged Russian war crimes The Trump administration's freeze of foreign funding has begun impacting an international effort to hold Russia responsible for alleged war crimes in Ukraine, according to eight sources and a Ukrainian document seen by Reuters, halting dozens of jobs and tens of millions of dollars in aid.

My @reuters.com colleagues Anthony Deutsch and Dan Peleschuk wrote about the effects of the USAID freeze on war crimes investigation in Ukraine
www.reuters.com/world/europe...

L'ex consulente Onu: "Gaza come l'ex Jugoslavia, rischio violazione del diritto internazionale"
https://www.repubblica.it/esteri/2025/02/07/news/gaza_come_ex_jugoslavia_violazione_diritto_internazionale-423987856/?rss

Mosul's historic al-Nuri mosque and al-Hadba minaret rise again Some 80% of the Old City of Mosul, in northern Iraq, was destroyed under the Islamic State group.

Mosul's landmarks rise again after IS destruction
- "It's truly like seeing a dead person coming back to life in a very, very beautiful way - that is the true spirit of the city coming back to life"
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

“People Will Die”: The Trump Administration Said It Lifted Its Ban on Lifesaving Humanitarian Aid. That’s Not True. Organizations that provide vital care for desperate and vulnerable people around the world have been forced to halt operations, turn away patients and lay off staff. “I’ve never seen anything that sca...

“On Friday morning, the staffers at a half dozen U.S.-funded medical facilities in Sudan who care for severely malnourished children had a choice to make: Defy President Donald Trump’s order to immediately stop their operations or let up to 100 babies and toddlers die.

They chose the children.”

Trump’s aid freeze shuts down ‘gold standard’ famine-monitoring system Without Fews Net, recognised as ‘a vital life-saving tool’ for preventing food crises, people will die, experts warn

Fews Net is the leading authority in famine monitoring, and was absolutely critical to our work documenting hunger and deliberate starvation in South Sudan and Ethiopia.

“Without Fews Net, global humanitarian responders will be flying blind, with less advance warning of where famine could strike.”

War crimes and legal routes: How Assad could be brought to justice for Syria atrocities Experts say the various ways of punishing Assad include the ICC following the Bangladesh-Myanmar model or cases in national courts under universal jurisdiction - Anadolu Ajansı

Since the fall of his regime in Syria, the international community has been exploring different legal avenues to bring Assad to justice.

SLP fellows @dijkstal.bsky.social and @yousufsyedkhan.bsky.social speak about the ICC, universal jurisdiction and more ➡️ www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-ea...

The live stream was disabled now, but here is a permanent link to the inaugural lecture. Thanks again for your interest!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pcrz...