This Update on International Justice is prepared by the International Law and Human Rights Program and provided for informational purposes only. Any opinions expressed in articles contained in this Update are not necessarily endorsed by PGA or any individual/s associated with PGA; nor does PGA or any individual/s associated with PGA vouch for the accuracy of the contents of these articles.
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Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger
On September 22, 2025, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger announced their joint decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court in an official statement. Human Rights Watch has warned that the decision threatens access to justice for victims of atrocity crimes, amid ongoing armed conflicts and widespread atrocities in the Sahel region.
On September 16, 2025, a new report by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel concluded that Israeli authorities have committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, through acts that meet the criteria of the Genocide Convention. The Commission has found clear intent at the highest levels of Israeli leadership to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza and urges Israel to comply with international legal obligations to end the genocide.
On September 22, 2025, Reuters reported that the U.S. is considering imposing entity-wide sanctions against the International Criminal Court in response to its investigations into alleged Israeli war crimes, which could severely disrupt the court's operations. Sanctions have been previously applied to specific ICC officials, but broader sanctions would represent a significant escalation.
On September 25, 2025, it was reported that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, facing an ICC arrest warrant for alleged war crimes, took an unusual flight route to the US to avoid countries where he could be detained. He traveled to the US to deliver a speech at the UN General Assembly and to meet with President Donald Trump.
On September 26, 2025, at a meeting of the Hague Group, an alliance of activist states, Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan emphasized the international community's shared responsibility to deny Israel "the tools of genocide." The group, co-chaired by South Africa and Colombia, aims to coordinate economic and legal actions against Israel, including restricting weapon transfers.
On September 29, 2025, members of the UK Labour Party voted to officially recognize Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide, in line with recent findings by the UN Commission of Inquiry. The move intensifies pressure on the UK government, which maintains that such determinations should be made by international courts.
On September 17, 2025, Brazil filed a declaration of intervention at the International Court of Justice regarding the genocide case brought by South Africa against Israel. Brazil, a party to the 1948 Genocide Convention, argues that the court's interpretation of Articles I, II, and III is at stake. The ICJ has invited written observations from South Africa and Israel regarding Brazil's intervention.
On September 22, 2025, the International Criminal Court made public that former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has been charged with crimes against humanity for his role in the "war on drugs." The ICC deputy prosecutor stated that Duterte was an "indirect co-perpetrator" in the killings during his tenure as mayor of Davao City from 2013 to 2016 and as president from 2016 to 2022.
On September 4, 2025, the US government imposed new sanctions targeting three Palestinian human rights organizations: Al Haq, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights. These organizations had requested that the International Criminal Court investigate Israel for alleged atrocity crimes in Gaza. Civil society groups condemned the sanctions, warning that they undermine the independence of the ICC and the Rome Statute system.
On September 5, 2025, Palestinian human rights organizations vowed to continue their cooperation with the ICC, despite new US sanctions imposed against them for supporting war crimes investigations in Gaza. They called for global solidarity to end the genocide in Gaza and the oppression of Palestinians.
On September 1, 2025, Al Jazeera reported that the International Association of Genocide Scholars, a group of the world's leading genocide scholars, passed a resolution stating that Israel’s actions in Gaza meet the UN definition of genocide. Melanie O’Brien, IAGS president, stated that this is a definitive expert declaration, while Sergey Vasiliev noted the consensus within academia.
On September 4, 2025, Human Rights Watch reported that at least five Iranian missile attacks on civilian areas in Israel in June 2025 violated the laws of war and should be investigated as war crimes.
On September 5, 2025, the UN Human Rights Office's Fact-Finding Mission on the situation in North and South Kivu released a new report finding that all parties to the conflict in in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo have committed gross human rights violations which may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
On September 9, 2025, UK ministers informed Parliament that they had not concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Sixty-one parliamentarians expressed concerns about the upcoming visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog, citing the UK’s obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention to prevent and punish genocide.
On September 4, 2025, Mali’s Ministry of Territorial Administration announced in a statement that it had filed a case with the International Court of Justice against Algeria. The transitional government alleged that Algeria had committed the "premeditated destruction" of a Malian military reconnaissance drone in March and called it "blatant aggression."
On September 8, 2025, the ICC postponed a hearing on the confirmation of charges in the case against former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, initially scheduled for September 23, 2025, citing Mr. Duterte's alleged unfitness to stand trial.
On September 10, 2025, the Pre-Trial Chamber III of the ICC concluded its confirmation of charges hearing against Joseph Kony. Kony is suspected of committing crimes against humanity and war crimes in Uganda from 2003 to 2004. The judges will deliver a written decision within 60 days.
On September 12, 2025, Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court determined that the case against Mr. Edmond Beina for crimes against humanity and war crimes is inadmissible under article 17(1)(a) of the Rome Statute because the Central African Republic is willing and able to investigate and prosecute the case.
