After fifteen years of the latest war in Afghanistan, the International Criminal Court (ICC) is reported to consider to opening a full-blown investigation on war crimes in Afghanistan. Chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said the Taliban, Afghan government forces and US troops as well as the CIA all appeared to have carried out war crimes. What took ICC so long? And what about the European countries, Canada and Australia, which have cooperated with the US/NATO? ICC has lost much credibility, because of their focus on crimes committed in Africa, while turning a blind eye to much of the rest of the world. Because of ICC’s track record of selective justice, it is not surprising that South Africa, Burundi and Gambia are leaving ICC and it would be very surprising if ICC would really go ahead and accuse the powerful (remember the “Hague invasion clause”).

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) outlaws the use of death penalty on a person who was under 18 when they committed a capital offence. However, that has not stopped Iran from placing juveniles on death row. Read about the case of Zeinab Sokian and Amnesty’s report Growing up on death row.