Prosecuting the Powerful: Panel discussion

Could we ever see Vladimir Putin in the dock for his crimes? What about a Western ally like Benjamin Netanyahu? Putting a country’s leader on trial once seemed unimaginable. But now, the possibilities of justice have been transformed. An international court has issued arrest warrants for both men in the past two years. The growth of “universal jurisdiction”, too, allows the arrest and prosecution of war criminals anywhere in the world.

From Gaza to Bucha and beyond, survivors seek justice for the crimes committed against them. But for that to happen, governments must finally abandon their double standards and have the courage to support prosecutions of those who commit atrocities, whether opponents or allies. Is that achievable, with the return of Donald Trump to the White House, a president who loathes accountability and wants to weaken or destroy the International Criminal Court? And what are the costs for future peace and stabililty if we fail?

Steve Crawshaw is the author of Prosecuting the Powerful: War Crimes and the Battle for Justice, which includes recent stories from the front lines of justice in Ukraine, Israel/Palestine and The Hague. He joined the Independent at launch, where his roles included Russia and east Europe editor and chief foreign correspondent. After leaving the Independent, he worked in senior roles at Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Freedom from Torture.

Emma Graham-Harrison is the Guardian’s senior international affairs correspondent. She was previously based in Kabul, Beijing and Madrid, and has reported from across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas. She has won multiple awards including the Society of Editors’ foreign correspondent of the year, for investigative reporting on the Cambridge Analytica Scandal and for uncovering civilian casualties in Iraq.

Lindsey Hilsum is Channel 4 News’ International Editor. Recently she has reported on the war in Ukraine, and the return of the Taliban in Afghanistan. She has reported from six continents, covering the major conflicts and refugee movements of the past three decades, including Syria, Iraq, Kosovo and Rwanda, winning many awards. She is the author of Sandstorm; Libya in the Time of Revolution and In Extremis; the Life of War Correspondent Marie Colvin, which won the 2019 James Tait Black Prize for biography.