March 15, Anthony Colangelo, a professor of law at SMU Dallas Dedman School of Law who specializing in conflict of law and international law, for a commentary illustrating how ‘universal jurisdiction’ allowed a German court to convict a Syrian secret police officer who sent anti-government Syrian protestors to a known torture camp. Published in Inside Sources: http://bit.ly/3vu4DGE
Germany recently convicted a Syrian national for acts committed in Syria, against Syrians.
What in international law would authorize such an extraordinary exercise of jurisdiction? The answer is the doctrine of “universal jurisdiction,” which permits any nation to exercise jurisdiction over especially grave violations of international law with no territorial or national connection to the offense. Among these offenses are torture and crimes against humanity — the crimes the defendant was convicted of in the German proceedings. Specifically, the defendant was a former Syrian secret police officer who aided and abetted arresting and transporting protesters to an interrogation center known for torture nearly a decade ago.