Last Hope Fading for War Crimes Probe in Afghanistan

Courthouse News - THE HAGUE (CN) — Final arguments were made Friday before the International Criminal Court on whether it should investigate crimes and human rights violations committed in Afghanistan by all parties to the conflict.

Despite the U.S. government’s lack of official presence in the courtroom, U.S. policy and the Trump administration played a central role in the rebuttal arguments made after three days of hearings.

“Leadership flows from the top, and right now it is not a very honorable outcome,” said  David J. Scheffer, director of the Center for International Human Rights, who led the U.S. negotiating team during the creation of the International Criminal Court.

Created by the Rome Statute in 2002, the ICC is the world’s only global court for crimes against humanity. The United States signed but did not ratify the treaty, and declined an invitation by the court to participate in this week’s hearings.

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