Last year, as I was applying for a scholarship in Human Rights and International Politics, I was asked to explain my motivation for pursuing this field. In my statement of purpose, I wrote that as a citizen of the Global South, I aspired to gain knowledge to promote peace and democracy in Iran, the Middle East, and the world.
Now, at the end of this remarkable academic journey, I find myself staring in disbelief at the world I live in – a world rife with chaos, war, conflict, and greed.
Amid all this, humanity continues to rely on modern tools created with the hope of improving our world: the United Nations, the World Health Organization, human rights institutions, the International Criminal Court, UNESCO, and other institutions that, like me, began with lofty dreams. Yet, the structures of the international order and politics have relentlessly obstructed the fulfilment of their purpose.
The International Criminal Court
One of humanity’s most significant inventions in pursuit of justice is the International Criminal Court (ICC). Established at the turn of the 21st century, the ICC was born of international cooperation, designed to prosecute serious crimes against humanity. Yet, the very political foundation that enabled its birth gradually became a barrier to justice.
Politicians, regardless of their ideologies, rarely welcome accountability. Thus, the ICC has met resistance in fulfilling its mandate. Many nations have still not joined the court, preventing it from investigating crimes committed within their borders. This absence of membership strips the ICC of jurisdiction, shielding many powerful perpetrators from prosecution.
Naturally, ruling politicians are unlikely to submit themselves voluntarily to international judges. The alternative is referral through the United Nations Security Council. But in cases like the war in Ukraine, the council was paralysed by Russia’s veto power, rendering justice unattainable.
In numerous other cases, states simply refuse to surrender suspects. Many ICC indictees, despite arrest warrants, continue to grin at justice from podiums of power. The Special Tribunal for Lebanon, for example, was obstructed by the previous Syrian tyranny regime and Hezbollah, ultimately failing to prosecute those responsible for the assassination of Lebanon’s prime minister, Rafik Hariri. In Iran, a dictatorship reigns through torture and execution. China, a regime accused of genocide against Muslims, remains unmoved by the calls for human rights.
The list of cases where countless lives have been sacrificed due to the unjust decisions of politicians is long, yet justice remains elusive. International institutions, especially the ICC, while formally independent, are born of political systems and thus often find their hands tied by political considerations.
Victims continue to wait for answers and justice. Why were they violated, tortured, or murdered? What justified such horror? In such a world, is it not fair to say that justice has been taken hostage by politics?
What is to be done?
To assume that citizens of the Global North have fulfilled their duty by establishing democratic governments and international institutions is a grave mistake. No one in Indonesia in 1939 imagined that Europe’s bloody wars would reach their shores. In today’s world, prosperity and suffering flow too freely to be confined by borders.
Citizens of non-democratic countries are trapped in poverty, hunger, and authoritarianism. Perhaps it is time for citizens of privileged nations to carry more of the burden of global justice. One of the most significant responsibilities is to support institutions like the ICC. However, today, more than ever, the pursuit of justice depends on the support of public opinion.
Our indifference could extinguish the fragile flame of human rights and the ICC’s dreams of justice. You may say this responsibility feels unfair, but a far greater injustice lies in letting political criminals rule unchallenged and thus threaten peace – the precious legacy we owe to future generations. They say justice and politics have drawn swords against one another, and Lady Justice is no longer blind.
Perhaps, as in the darkest hours of World War II, it is time to awaken – to rise from the wreckage of politics and rewrite history anew. Lest the voice of humanity and its dignity be drowned in the noise of self-serving politicians in Washington, Moscow, and Beijing.
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