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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Libya
On 19 May 2026, Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court will open the confirmation of charges hearing in the case of The Prosecutor v. Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri. El Hishri, a former senior official at Mitiga Prison, faces 17 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed against Libyan nationals, migrants, and refugees between 1 May 2014 and 30 June 2020. This is the first case concerning the situation in Libya to reach the confirmation of charges phase before the ICC.
On 6 May 2026, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urged the European Commission to activate the EU's Blocking Statute to protect the International Criminal Court and the United Nations from United States sanctions.
On 7 May 2026, the Presidency of the International Criminal Court referred Tajikistan's non-compliance to the Assembly of States Parties for failing to cooperate with the Court's request to arrest and surrender Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On 15 May 2026, the Philippines vowed to cooperate with the ICC and to arrest Senator Ronald Marapon Dela Rosa, who is subject to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity.
On 5 May 2026, Amnesty International published a report documenting rampant war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Allied Democratic Forces against civilians in eastern DRC.
On 5 May 2026, the Taliban accused Pakistan of killing three civilians and injuring fourteen people in a cross-border attack, describing the incident as a war crime. The attack occurred following a ceasefire brokered by China in April after several months of armed clashes.
On 12 May 2026, 11 African states joined the France-Mexico initiative to limit the use of the United Nations Security Council veto in cases of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, bringing the total number of supporting states to 118.
On 15 May 2026, 34 European countries, Australia, Costa Rica, and the EU approved a resolution to establish a special tribunal to prosecute Russia for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.
On 5 May 2026, Syria's judiciary charged Atef Najib, a former senior security official, with war crimes and crimes against humanity in relation to a 2011 crackdown on protesters. This marks the first prosecution involving former Assad regime officials.
On 6 May 2026, the Paris Court of Appeal overturned the dismissal of genocide charges against former Rwandan First Lady Agathe Habyarimana and ordered the investigation to resume. Habyarimana, who has lived in France since 2004, faces charges of complicity in genocide and crimes against humanity related to the 1994 Tutsi genocide.
On 11 May 2026, ICC judges unsealed an arrest warrant for Senator Ronald Marapon Dela Rosa for crimes against humanity of murder in relation to at least 32 killings committed between July 2016 and April 2018 during the Duterte administration's war on drugs.
