Asymmetrical Haircuts

Out tomorrow: We all know the pressures international criminal justice is under. Yet, reporting from the 2026 IBA War Crimes Committee Conference, we asked panellists what they found inspiring instead. Tune in for comments on the Lafarge verdict, financial crime, and universal jurisdiction.

Out tomorrow: What happens to criminal investigations when optimisation becomes synonymous with AI? How are investigators actually using AI tools, and where should the line be drawn? #AsymmetricalHaircuts #podcast #internationallaw #internationaljustice #warcrimes #accountability #AI #transparency

Out tomorrow! How does AI-powered warfare fit in the rules of International Humanitarian Law? with @jessicadorsey.bsky.social, @elkeschwarz.bsky.social @janethanderson.bsky.social @svdberg.bsky.social @justiceinfo.bsky.social #AI #autonomousweapons #internationallaw #warcrimes #accountability

Out tomorrow on #Patreon 🎙️ For our bonus episode of the War Criminals Book Club, we discuss the 2025 documentary Mr Nobody Against Putin. Highly recommended for the way it shows propaganda unfolding in real time and shaping young minds in Russia. 🧵

Coming tomorrow! What happened when Belgian authorities arrested (and released) Israeli soldiers while at a local music festival? Mathias Holvoet explains the challenges Belgian universal jurisdiction faces.

If you’re busy listening to our latest episode on the ICC policy but prefer doing so alongside a visual format, the transcript is now available an the Asymmetrical Haircuts website With @janethanderson.bsky.social @svdberg.bsky.social @markkersten.bsky.social and Otto Spijkers

Out tomorrow! Will middle powers like Canada and the Netherlands defend the values of international law in the context of the US/Israel attack on Iran? We discuss with @markkersten.bsky.social + Otto Spijkers the complicated relationships these states have with accountability.

What changes with the new ICC policy on environmental damage? In tomorrow’s pod, we dive into how the ICC could prosecute environmental destruction within its existing crimes. Laura Baron-Mendoza explains how this policy pushes for the Court to rely on science

Out tomorrow! We take a good look at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers at the end of their biggest war crimes case against former president Hashim Thaci, along with the latest witness interference case, also against him We get to hear a big round-up on KSC news and analysis by Ardit Kika & Amer Alija

Out tomorrow - Why are there so many Universal Jurisdiction cases suddenly popping up in France? Is it a new approach or more investigations? Jeanne Sulzer explains #AsymmetricalHaircuts #podcast #pod #internationallaw #internationaljustice #thehague #warcrimes #reporting #accountability #france

What are the issues in putting very elderly defendants on trial for atrocity crimes? And what has been the practice up to now? Podcast out tomorrow!

ICYMI: Why does everyone head to Argentina to file Universal Jurisdiction cases? Is Argentina able to process them all and provide justice for victims in Myanmar Iran Ukraine Colombia Venezuela and more? Listen here to the experts 🎙️ www.asymmetricalhaircuts.com/episodes/jus...

Expertise, resources & stamina - What are the challenges to prosecuting Universal Jurisdiction cases? With Maia Czarny, @ezejim.bsky.social, Bénédict De Moerloose we explore the Argentine context, and what better case study than a country that has seen cases from around the world Out tomorrow!

If you were to guess which region is the center for corporate crimes cases in the world - how high would Latin America rank on your list? In tomorrow's pod, we explore why countries like Argentina are leading the world in their efforts to convict corporate bad actors.

ICYMI 🎙️ We discussed the Iran protests and Argentina accountability with @gissounia.bsky.social How are the current protests in Iran related to the 2022 ones? And what means are protesters using to get evidence out & fight for accountability? Listen: www.asymmetricalhaircuts.com/episodes/epi...

Out Tomorrow! Human rights lawyer Gissou Nia talks about protest and crackdowns in Iran now and during the 2022 Women Life Freedom movement and the #Iran #UniversalJurisdiction case in Argentina #AsymmetricalHaircuts #podcast #pod #internationallaw #internationaljustice #womenlifefreedom

ICYMI 🎯 We’ve just wrapped up our coverage of three weeks of the groundbreaking hearings at the International Court of Justice over genocide. It’s been brought by Gambia, about what kind of violence forced the Rohingya minority in Myanmar to flee in 2017.

Need to catch up on the huge genocide case about the Rohingya in 2017, also known as Gambia versus Myanmar at the ICJ? Tomorrow we will have a basic summary for you on what each side has been saying and our assessment of the case.

Coming tomorrow on #Patreon 📚 On the War Criminals Book Club, friend of the pod Reed Brody joins us to discuss Philippe Sands' latest book: 38 Londres Street & the legacy of the Pinochet case on immunity for former heads of state - "It has a huge amount of relevance for justice today".

📣 ICYMI: Our episode on survivors' hopes and struggles with the ICC is out! How can it feel to "put a name to the things the government did to you"? Luis Carlos Díaz, a journalist and survivor from Venezuela, tells us about his experience and his engagement with the International Criminal Court.

Coming tomorrow! What’s it really like as a torture survivor to try to engage with the International Criminal Court? We spoke to three advocates for their communities in Venezuela, Kenya and Ukraine about how the court is seen in their countries.

We're back - shaken out of holiday mode by Trump, Maduro Venezuela. For a quick take on international law implications and potential avenues for real accountability listen later today to @bcfinucane.bsky.social and Ignacio Jovtis

Out Now on #Patreon🎙️ For our last War Criminals Book Club of the year, we review The Cranes Call. With Hope Rikkelman we discuss the importance of working together with the local community when investigating Russia's war crimes in #Ukraine Listen: www.patreon.com/posts/war-cr...

Out tomorrow! Who is at the leadership of the networks trafficking migrants from #Eritrea, through #Libya and to Europe? @mirjamvanreisen.bsky.social tells us about the recent trial for alleged Eritrean trafficker Walid in the Netherlands, how the organisations operate and change over time

Out tomorrow! Olivera Simic sat down with @svdberg.bsky.social and @janethanderson.bsky.social for her book Madam War Criminal about Biljana Plavsic. What drove the only woman ever sentenced by the Yugoslav tribunal & What does her case say about accountability in the former Yugoslavia?

Out tomorrow Next week’s annual meeting of the ICC will not officially discuss the unresolved investigation into alleged sexual misconduct by the prosecutor. But it's affecting the court's work.

Out tomorrow on #Patreon We reviewed 'They Would Never Hurt a Fly' by Slavenka Drakulić with friend of the pod @vukusiciva.bsky.social We asked Iva what she thought when she first read the book when it came out in 2003, and what atmosphere there was in terms of accountability for war crimes

Out tomorrow: Could Vladimir Putin be found guilty by an international tribunal without him ever entering the courtroom? This week’s pod this very topic: Trials in Absentia and how they will work at the new Ukraine Special Tribunal. With @janethanderson.bsky.social @svdberg.bsky.social

Out tomorrow! What more do we know now about the illegal deportation of thousands of Ukrainian children when #Russia invaded #Ukraine? We talked to the Council of Europe’s special representative for the children of Ukraine, @thordiskolbrun.bsky.social

Out tomorrow We take you behind the scenes at a recent People’s Tribunal for the Women of Afghanistan where Afghan women testified about discrimination, humiliation and torture, living under the Taliban regime.

Out tomorrow What’s really going on with the ‘war on drugs’ that has led to the US killing dozens of alleged drug dealers off the coast of Venezuela Colombia & most recently Mexico? How is "a non-international armed conflict" legally defined? @pagingdrpaige.bsky.social @alonso-gd.bsky.social explain

Out tomorrow on #Patreon 📣 We watched The New Yorker documentary 'In Flow of Words: Translating the Trauma of War' together at the Hague Humanity Hub & reacted to it in REAL TIME! We discuss how interpreters at intl trials can be impacted by what they hear from victims + perpetrators

Coming tomorrow: We are getting our heads around the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. But there’s still a lot of detail to be ironed out. Andriy Kostin, now ambassador in The Hague explains why Kyiv needed this Special Tribunal agreed.

Out tomorrow: Why do states bring cases to the ICJ - even when there’s no jurisdiction? @drnajimagi.bsky.social helps run though the current caseload. Plus with the genocide cases against Myanmar and Israel, are states trying to be useful or just delaying when they make additional interventions?

Out tomorrow We are exploring the largest permanent saltwater lagoon in #Europe, Mar Menor in #Spain. Why? Because it’s the first ecosystem to be granted legal personhood in Europe. And now it’s also likely to be the first ecosystem to be represented at the European Court of Human Rights.

Out Tomorrow - With former Filipino President Duterte waiting to stand trial at the ICC, we look at the misinformation initiatives employed during and after his ‘War on Drugs’ campaign in which human rights orgs say over 12,000 Filipinos were murdered.

Out tomorrow on #Patreon 📣 For the War Criminals #BookClub, we watched the 2015 movie 'The Prosecutor, the Defender, the Father and His Son' and we discussed what was accurate and what wasn't in the depiction of Bosnia, the Netherlands and the processes at the #ICTY

🎯ICYMI - go listen to our latest epsiode where @szarmsky.bsky.social unpacks the challenges of prosecuting harmful online content! asymmetricalhaircuts.com/episodes/epi... With @janethanderson.bsky.social & @svdberg.bsky.social

What are the ethical dilemmas of using digital evidence in international criminal law for the victims and survivors involved? In this week’s podcast, we sit down with Sarah Zarmsky to discuss what she calls “digital harms.” 🎧 Tune in tomorrow!

ICYMI: The ICC held it's first in absentia hearing last week on Joseph Kony — its first-ever indictee, still at large after 20+ years. 🎧 Listen for expert insights from Michael Scharf & @lucyjgaynor.bsky.social www.asymmetricalhaircuts.com/episodes/jus...

Why is the ICC holding an in absentia hearing against #Uganda’s rebel leader Joseph #Kony? The arrest warrant was issued 20 years ago. He can’t be found. Is the ICC likely to use this new way to remind the world of the alleged crimes against other accused?

Our first podcast of the new season is out tomorrow! @drmelob.bsky.social explains how genocide scholars have come to the overwhelming consensus that Gaza is facing genocide and what that means legally for states under the Genocide Convention. With @janethanderson.bsky.social & @svdberg.bsky.social

Coming tomorrow! Why has a statue of #CRSV survivors been created? With @janethanderson.bsky.social @svdberg.bsky.social @mukwegefoundation.org

Out tomorrow on #Patreon! @lucyjgaynor.bsky.social joined the War Criminals Book Club to discuss 'Silencing the Past: Power and the Production of History' by Michel-Rolph Trouillot We talk about the process of creating narratives in history and trials + how to deal with what is left out

Coming tomorrow! Why don’t govts do more to recognize and prevent atrocities? @ewelinaochab.bsky.social gives examples of what has not worked in the past + what is needed to pressurise the #UK government to fulfil its international law obligations, with @aarifabraham.bsky.social & Christine Chinkin

Next week the World Court will issue its climate advisory opinion. Ahead of the historic opinion we lay out what is at stake. Tomorrow you can listen to our episode with @nikkireisch.bsky.social @vishal-prasad.bsky.social @wy4cj.bsky.social 's Brenda Reson Sapura and film maker Felix Golenko

Militia violence & loss of land and ecosystem - the root causes of migration in Central America are complex We discuss it all + enforced disappearances in #Mexico with Ana Srovin Coralli, joining our #Patreon ep to review the documentary Toshkua by Ludovic Bonleux www.patreon.com/c/Asymmetric...

What are the rules under international humanitarian law about attacks on hospitals and medical personnel? How should military assess the foreseeable harm to a civilian population in conflict? Coming tomorrow - podcast with @corduladroege.bsky.social.

Out tomorrow: After years of legal debate & diplomacy the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine is finally taking shape. We unpack how this new court came about with Lithuania’s Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Gabija Grigaite Daugirde.

How does trauma affect combatants of war? We look into post-war trauma and what it means for soldiers and their families. We caught up with Lieutenant General Romeo Dallaire and his wife Marie-Claude Michaud to find out. Tune in tomorrow with @janethanderson.bsky.social @svdberg.bsky.social

New trailer for a new exciting chapter of the #Patreon War Criminals Book Club! "The world is going to shit but we're still recording our podcast" Would you like to share the burden - or just some dark humour? Do you want to support our work? Check us on Patreon👇 patreon.com/c/asymmetric...

Out tomorrow: We look at the efforts to get yet another #ClimateChange ruling from an international court. This time by the African Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights or AfCHPR. With Dr. @yusrasuedi.bsky.social, expert in international environmental law at the University of Manchester.

Coming tomorrow: How far can governments - like the Dutch - be held to account for war crimes? With @janethanderson.bsky.social, @svdberg.bsky.social, Frederiek de Vlaming & the Nuhanovic Foundation.

*Coming tomorrow* For the #Patreon War Criminals Book Club, we read Richard Overy's Rain of Ruin. We talk about the bombing of #Tokyo before the atomic bombs were launched & how much it is still discussed today. @vukusiciva.bsky.social tells us her impressions from her visit to Japan

Coming tomorrow: now that the #ICC prosecutor has stepped aside, we explore the cultural issues at the court that lead to the sexual misconduct investigation, the rules now being applied by the Bureau of ASP and how the media has become a major player in this saga

Out tomorrow ‼️ Despite the stigma they have faced, #Rohingya women from Shanti Mohila have travelled to Argentina to testify in a #genocide case against #Myanmar officials about the sexual and gender based violence during the clearances in 2017.

OUT TOMORROW: Much of the information we have about alleged war crimes and crimes aginst humanity and genocide in #Gaza has been filmed by local Palestinian journalists. Via a forthcoming documentary, ‘Between the Lines’ we explore the challenges they have faced.

Coming tomorrow on #Patreon War Criminals #BookClub We review 'The Memory Seeker' by Ronald Niezen and discuss how it brings together current intl trials with the Dutch Nazi past + quite timely observations on how ordinary people act under a regime

Coming tomorrow Even years after a conflict, relatives are still searching for information about the disappeared. The Asymmetrical Haircuts team went to ICMP‘s new DNA laboratory and asked about new solutions to current challenges in identifying bodies.

🎧 Alarming details of #killings and cover-ups by Britain’s elite #SAS have emerged during a special UK Inquiry set up to investigate crimes committed in #Afghanistan. Tomorrow we put that inquiry into context of other efforts to pursue accountability for the #war in Afghanistan.

Out tomorrow: We’ve had the first example of a gender persecution charge at the #ICC - unsuccessful ultimately. But why did the prosecution focus on sexual and gender-based crimes at all in #Mali ? What does it take to investigate these types of crimes?

Out Tomorrow: We speak with #Sudanese activist @halayalkarib.bsky.social about the ongoing atrocities in #Sudan and the targeted violence against women. As the conflict continues, sexual violence is widespread and women are being attacked for their #ethnic identity. 🎧 Don't miss it.

Out Tomorrow: We return to the #justice challenges facing #Syria Now the #Assad regime has fallen what should the priorities be for the new authorities when it comes to #accountability? We ask @uungor.bsky.social about Syria’s prison system, war crimes, and the fight for truth.

Coming tomorrow🎙️ At the #Patreon The War Criminals BookClub, we review The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker We discuss how real the experiences of women held in the Trojan siege feel when thinking about victims' stories from intl trials we covered, like Ongwen (#ICC) & #ICTY

Out Tomorrow. We sat down with @luigiprosperi.bsky.social from @uurechten.bsky.social and @margheritacapacci.bsky.social to untangle the mess in #Italy the #ICC #Libya suspect, released after Rome questioned aspects of his arrest warrant With @janethanderson.bsky.social @svdberg.bsky.social

Out Tomorrow! We sit down with @oonahathaway.bsky.social to talk about the new U.S. administration’s apparent disregard for international law and what that means for the #RuleOfLaw & the future of international law. With @janethanderson.bsky.social @svdberg.bsky.social & @justiceinfo.bsky.social.