The Russian invasion of Ukraine constitutes a clear violation of international law; by ordering the commission of various atrocity crimes, such as aggression, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and possibly genocide, Russian President Vladimir Putin has incurred individual criminal responsibility. In fact, since Nuremberg, political and military leaders have been held accountable for ordering and orchestrating the commission of atrocity crimes. In the context of Ukraine, Putin and other Russian leaders are already being investigated by the International Criminal Court, which has jurisdiction over genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in Ukraine; it is likely that the ICC will indict some Russian leaders in the very near future. As the ICC does not have jurisdiction over the Russian crime of aggression, various states have advocated for the creation of an ad hoc aggression tribunal. Those conversations continue in the United Nations General Assembly, and it is possible that we will witness the creation of such a tribunal this year.
In a dynamic Q&A format moderated by CSU |LAW Professor Milena Sterio, Dean Michael Scharf will discuss the various accountability options for the prosecution of Putin and other Russian leaders, as well as the possibility that developments related to the Ukraine conflict may suggest the emergence of a new global order.
SPEAKER
Michael Scharf
Since 2013, Michael Scharf has been the Co-Dean of Case Western Reserve University School of Law. He is a Chaired Professor who has authored 20 books, including five that have won national book of the year honors. During the elder Bush and Clinton Administrations, Scharf served as Attorney Adviser for U.N. Affairs in the Office of the Legal Adviser of the U.S. Department of State, where he represented the United States at the U.N. Human Rights Commission and U.N. Legal Committee. Scharf and the Public International Law and Policy Group, a Non-Governmental Organization he co-founded 25 years ago, were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by six governments and the Prosecutor of an International Criminal Tribunal for the work they have done to help in the prosecution of major war criminals. He has served as Special Assistant to the International Prosecutor of the Cambodia Genocide Tribunal and has argued as Amicus before the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court. Since 2011, Scharf has produced and hosted the radio program “Talking Foreign Policy,” broadcast quarterly on Cleveland’s NPR station, WKSU 89.7 FM and available as a podcast. Scharf is the President of the American Branch of the International Law Association, a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a member of the Executive Council of the American Society of International Law.
MODERATOR
Miilena Sterio
Milena Sterio is the Charles R. Emrick Jr. - Calfee Halter & Griswold Professor of Law and LLM Programs Director at the CSU College of Law. She is an expert on International and International Criminal Law and the author of seven books and numerous law review articles and other writings. Professor Sterio has worked with the International Criminal Court's Office of the Prosecutor, where she is currently advising on the development of the new policy on the prosecution of the crime of gender persecution, and she has also argued an amicus brief before the ICC's Appeals Chamber. Sterio has also engaged with the United Nations, as an expert on maritime piracy issues and global counterterrorism initiatives. She currently serves on the Executive Council of the American Society of International Law, as a Director on the American Branch of International Law Board of Directors, and as Chair of the Transitional Justice and Rule of Law Interest Group at the American Society of International Law. Sterio was a Fulbright Scholar in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2013, where she researched secession issues related to the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. She holds a J.D. from Cornell Law School, two French law degrees from the University of Paris, and a B.A. from Rutgers University.