The International Law and Human Rights Program prepares this update on International Justice 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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On 28 August 2026, UN human rights experts demanded bold and urgent action from ICC member states to protect the Court, calling on the EU to activate the Blocking Statute and urging states to mitigate the impact of sanctions on judges, prosecutors, and staff.
On 18 August 2026, as part of its campaign to "dismantle" the International Criminal Court, the US State Department announced new sanctions against ICC President Tomoko Akane and Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye.
On 19 August 2026, the ICC deplored the new US sanctions as a "flagrant attack" on judicial independence that undermines the rule of law and the international legal order.
On 24 August 2026, 70 Myanmar and international human rights organizations issued a joint statement on the ninth anniversary of the Myanmar military's atrocities against the Rohingya, reiterating calls for justice and accountability.
On 28 August 2026, Greenland announced the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to examine Denmark's forced contraception of thousands of indigenous Inuit women between the 1960s and 1990, after experts failed to agree on whether the practice constituted genocide.
On 25 August 2026, South Africa submitted a substantial dossier to the International Court of Justice documenting Israel's non-compliance with Provisional Measures Orders that seek to protect the Palestinian people from genocide.
On 28 August 2026, a Dutch court sentenced a Rwandan-born Dutch national to life imprisonment for genocide and war crimes committed during the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
On 7 August 2026, the Presidency of the Assembly of States Parties expressed concern over withdrawals from the Rome Statute by Chad and Venezuela, warning that such decisions risk undermining the collective pursuit of justice and weakening global efforts to end impunity.
On 7 August 2026, Amnesty International stated that the Venezuelan government's decision to withdraw from the Rome Statute represents an attempt to avoid scrutiny and accountability for crimes against humanity.
On 13 August 2026, the Chair of the Dutch Council for the Judiciary condemned US threats to dismantle the ICC and urged European support, including the application of the EU Blocking Regulation.
On 6 August 2026, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Legal Agenda found that an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon that killed journalist Amal Khalil and injured her colleague constitutes a war crime.
On 11 August 2026, four human rights groups filed a lawsuit in a US federal court against the Trump administration over sanctions against the ICC, arguing the sanctions amount to an illegal attack on international justice.
On 12 August 2026, the US Defense Secretary warned that the ICC could investigate US boat strikes in Latin America, which have resulted in over 200 deaths since September 2025 and have been criticized by rights groups as extrajudicial killings.
On 13 August 2026, Human Rights Watch reported that Russia's cluster munition attack on Kyiv, which killed three civilians, should be investigated as a potential war crime.
On 11 August 2026, a Syrian court sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during Syria's 14-year civil war, along with his brother and six former military and security officials.
