Universal Jurisdiction: Attempting to Bring Justice to Syrian Victims

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Monday, November 13, 2017
Author: 
Farhad Mirzadeh
Volume: 
33
Issue: 
11
Abstract: 

Victims of the tragic civil war in Syria continue to flee to other countries for safety. Justice has been difficult to deliver to perpetrators of the most heinous crimes committed in the conflict, but some victims are now leveraging the judicial systems in their new countries to make the Syrian authorities responsible for crimes against humanity. In doing so, these refugees are helping push the boundaries of a concept known as “universal jurisdiction,” which enables courts to have jurisdiction over certain war crimes.