Iranian victims are turning to foreign courts to pursue justice for crimes committed by their own government. Three cases—from Switzerland, Sweden and Argentina—show how civil society can mobilize international law when international courts remain out of reach.
Civitas Maxima marks 10 years of partnership with the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, continuing to host student interns and support the next generation of lawyers working to advance justice and accountability for international crimes.
In January, Civitas Maxima endorsed the Initiative for Disability Inclusion in the Convention on Crimes against Humanity, supporting the meaningful inclusion of persons with disabilities and strengthening accountability for crimes committed against them under international law.
Despite its legal clarity and direct evidence in cases like Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the crime of aggression remains almost untried—prompting calls for a special tribunal and renewed focus on international justice
Universal jurisdiction is often hailed as a last resort for justice, yet victims and witnesses face severe risks when speaking out. Drawing on cases from Liberia, this article examines threats, protection gaps, and the urgent need for stronger, victim-centred safeguards beyond convictions.
U.S. sanctions against its judges and prosecutors, contempt for its authority: attacks against the International Criminal Court continue relentlessly. National courts, however, have picked up the mantle in prosecuting international crimes and this movement has now become the true flagship of international criminal justice.
Switzerland, despite its historic role in advancing global anti-torture conventions, still lacks a national law criminalizing torture. Director of Civitas Maxima and laywer Alain Werner urges Parliament to correct this gap, aligning Swiss law with international standards to ensure accountability, justice, and protection for all.
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis’s suggestion to grant Vladimir Putin immunity for peace talks undermines international justice. Alain Werner, director of Civitas Maxima, warns that such a move, though legally possible, would violate Switzerland’s obligations to the ICC and weaken its credibility as a defender of international law.
Israeli journalists, academics, and rights groups are documenting atrocities in Gaza, exposing mass civilian deaths, deliberate attacks, and use of human shields. Their evidence, corroborated internationally, forms a crucial record against impunity—ensuring these crimes cannot be erased, even amid political pressure to silence accountability.
As war today seems to be the only agenda for some major powers, including a war against justice itself, all those who still uphold the values of international law must unite on the side of all victims, without discrimination, and support any genuine pursuit of justice, writes Alain Werner, director of Civitas Maxima.
