{"id":39317,"date":"2026-04-02T21:46:44","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T19:46:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/?p=39317"},"modified":"2026-04-02T21:50:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T19:50:04","slug":"over-100-international-law-experts-warn-u-s-strikes-on-iran-violate-un-charter-and-may-be-war-crimes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/?p=39317","title":{"rendered":"Over 100 International Law Experts Warn: U.S. Strikes on Iran Violate UN Charter and May Be War Crimes"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .<\/p>\n

An article from Just Security<\/a><\/p>\n

The United States and Israel initiated strikes on Iran over one month ago, on February 28, 2026. The attack was a clear violation of the United Nations Charter. The conduct of the war, and statements of U.S. officials, also raise serious concerns about violations of international humanitarian law, including potential war crimes. We have written the below statement together with over 100 U.S.-based international law experts, to detail our profound concerns about the war. The letter is signed by international law experts across the United States, including senior professors; leaders of prominent international law associations, non-governmental organizations, and legal clinics; former government legal advisors; and military law experts and former Judge Advocates General (JAGs).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n<\/center><\/p>\n

Letter of over 100 international law experts on Iran war<\/strong>
\n\u00a0
\nWe, the undersigned U.S.-based international law experts, professors, and practitioners write to express profound concern about serious violations of international law and alarming rhetoric by the United States, Israel, and Iran in the present armed conflict in the Middle East.<\/p>\n

Due to our connection to the United States, our focus here is on the conduct of the U.S. government, but we remain concerned about the risk of atrocities across the region including the continuing risks posed by the Iranian government to Iranians through violent crackdowns on dissent, and to civilians across the Middle East through Iran\u2019s ongoing unlawful strikes on civilian infrastructure using explosive weapons in densely populated areas.<\/p>\n

One month has passed since the United States and Israel launched strikes across Iran. The initiation of the campaign was a clear violation of the United Nations Charter, and the conduct of United States forces since, as well as statements made by senior government officials, raise serious concerns about violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, including potential war crimes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

We collectively affirm the importance of equal application of international law to all, including countries that hold themselves out as global leaders. Recent statements from senior U.S. government officials describing the rules governing military engagement as \u201cstupid\u201d and prioritizing \u201clethality\u201d over \u201clegality\u201d are profoundly alarming and dangerously short-sighted. These claims, particularly in combination with the observable conduct of U.S. forces, are harming the international legal order and the system of international law that we have devoted our lives to promoting.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The war, which is\u00a0costing\u00a0U.S. taxpayers between $1-2 billion each day, is imposing significant harm to civilians in the region, has resulted in the loss of hundreds of civilian lives across the Middle East, and is causing\u00a0serious environmental \u00a0and economic harms.<\/p>\n

We write to express our concern about 1) jus ad bellum, or the decision to go to war, 2) jus in bello, or the conduct of hostilities, 3) rhetoric and threats from senior U.S. officials and their allies, which portend further abuses, and 4) the decimation of civilian harm mitigation structures within the U.S. government as a part of U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth\u2019s \u201cgloves off\u201d approach to warfare.\u00a0<\/p>\n

1. Jus ad bellum concerns:<\/strong>\u00a0The strikes launched by the United States and Israel on February 28, 2026 clearly violated the United Nations Charter prohibition on the use of force. Force against another state is\u00a0only permitted\u00a0in self-defense against an actual or imminent armed attack or where authorized by the UN Security Council. The Security Council did not authorize the attack. Iran did not attack Israel or the United States. Despite the Trump administration\u2019s\u00a0varied and sometimes conflicting claims\u00a0to the contrary, there is\u00a0no evidence\u00a0that Iran posed an imminent threat that could ground a self-defense claim.\u00a0Many\u00a0international law experts have concluded that Israel and the United States\u2019 actions violate the UN Charter, including the\u00a0President\u00a0and\u00a0President-elect\u00a0of the American Society of International Law, and the\u00a0President\u00a0of the American Branch of the International Law Association; UN Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres also\u00a0condemned\u00a0the attacks as undermining international peace and security.<\/p>\n

2. Concerns about violations of international humanitarian law:<\/strong> The laws of armed conflict constrain the conduct of hostilities of all parties to the ongoing conflict. We are concerned that these fundamental rules may have been violated, including in the context of reported strikes on civilians and civilian objects such as political leaders who have no military role, oil and gas\u00a0infrastructure, including\u00a0South Pars, and water\u00a0desalination\u00a0plants. On March 19, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker T\u00fcrk\u00a0condemned\u00a0strikes on energy infrastructure, noting their \u201cdisastrous\u201d impacts for civilians.\u00a0<\/p>\n

We are seriously concerned about strikes that have hit schools, health facilities, and homes. The Iranian Red Crescent\u00a0reports\u00a0that \u201c67,414 civilian sites have been struck, of which 498 are schools and 236 health facilities.\u201d A\u00a0report\u00a0by leading civil society organizations found that at least 1,443 Iranian civilians, including 217 children, were killed by U.S. and Israeli forces between February 28 and March 23.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The strike on Minab primary school is particularly concerning. On February 28, Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab, Iran, was struck, resulting in the deaths of at least 175 people, many of them children,\u00a0according\u00a0to Iranian officials. Based on\u00a0easily accessible\u00a0online information\u00a0and commercially available satellite imagery, it appears the building had been used as a\u00a0school\u00a0for a decade. President Trump denied U.S. responsibility, falsely\u00a0stating\u00a0that \u201cIt was done by Iran.\u201d However, a preliminary investigation by the Department of Defense\u00a0reportedly\u00a0determined that the U.S. conducted the strike, and the targeting had been based on outdated intelligence. The strike likely\u00a0violates\u00a0international humanitarian law, and if evidence is found that those responsible were\u00a0reckless, it could also be a\u00a0war crime. The strike is among the deadliest single attacks by the U.S. military on civilians in recent decades.\u00a0<\/p>\n

3. Concerns about rhetoric and threats from senior officials.<\/strong>\u00a0We are deeply concerned about the dangerous rhetoric government officials have engaged in during the war, including:\u00a0<\/p>\n

a. Threatened denial of quarter:<\/strong>\u00a0On March 13, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth\u00a0stated\u00a0\u201cWe will keep pushing, keep advancing, no quarter, no mercy for our enemies.\u201d In\u00a0international law, it is \u201cespecially forbidden\u201d to \u201cdeclare that no quarter will be given,\u201d a\u00a0prohibition\u00a0also set out in the Department of Defense\u2019s own law of war\u00a0manual. Hegseth\u2019s statement likely violates international humanitarian law as well as the U.S. War Crimes statute\u00a018 U.S.C. 2441. Ordering or threatening no quarter\u00a0is a\u00a0war crime.\u00a0
\n\u00a0
\nb. Dismissal of rules of engagement and international law:\u00a0<\/strong>Secretary of Defense Hegseth\u2019s \u201cno quarter\u201d statement followed similarly alarming statements by the Secretary, including on\u00a0September 25, 2025\u00a0and\u00a0March 2, 2026\u00a0that the U.S. does not fight with \u201cstupid rules of engagement.\u201d On January 8, 2026 President Trump had made the disturbing comment\u00a0that\u00a0\u201cI don\u2019t need international law.\u201d On March 13, he\u00a0stated\u00a0that the U.S. may conduct strikes on Iran \u201cjust for fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

c. Threats on energy infrastructure<\/strong>:\u00a0President Trump\u00a0threatened\u00a0on March 13, 2026: \u201cI could take out things within the next hour, power plants that create the electricity, that create the water\u2026 We could do things that would be so bad they could literally never rebuild as a nation again.\u201d International law protects from attack objects indispensable to the survival of civilians, and the attacks threatened by Trump, if implemented, could entail war crimes. On March 21, President Trump further\u00a0threatened\u00a0to \u201cobliterate\u201d power plants in Iran. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz,\u00a0defended\u00a0power plant attacks the next day, and also said that striking nuclear power plants was not off the table. It is prohibited to attack civilian energy infrastructure. If a power plant has both civilian and military purposes (\u201cdual-use\u201d), it may be considered a military objective\u00a0where\u00a0it makes \u201can effective contribution to military action\u201d and\u00a0the attack \u201coffers a definite military advantage.\u201d However, any strike must respect the principles of proportionality and precautions in attack. The proportionality principle\u00a0prohibits\u00a0attacks expected to cause incidental civilian harm that would be excessive in relation to the military advantage. The civilian harm to be considered includes foreseeable\u00a0reverberating\u00a0or indirect harm. In any attack, \u201call feasible precautions\u201d\u00a0must\u00a0be taken to avoid civilian harm.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Attacks on nuclear power plants, even if they have a military purpose, require\u00a0particular care\u00a0because of the high risk of releasing radiation and radioactive material and consequent severe harm to the civilian population. Such a strike could harm the health and safety of millions of civilians.\u00a0 On March 23, 2026, the ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric Egger\u00a0expressed\u00a0her deep concern, noting that \u201cWar on essential infrastructure is war on civilians\u201d and described threats to nuclear power plants as \u201cMost alarming.\u201d<\/p>\n

4. Concerns about institutional safeguards against further violations:<\/strong>\u00a0Since the start of the second Trump administration, the Defense Department under Secretary Hegseth has deliberately and\u00a0systematically weakened\u00a0the protections meant to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law. This includes removing senior military lawyers without publicly citing misconduct, and replacing the Army, Navy, and Air Force judge advocates general, directly undermining legal oversight of combat operations. It has also abolished \u201ccivilian environment teams\u201d and other mechanisms specifically designed to limit harm to civilians during operations. The 2026 National Defense Strategy omits references to civilian protection and international law entirely. These changes are especially concerning in light of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth\u2019s comments that rules of engagement interfere with \u201cfighting to win.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

We are gravely concerned that the conduct and threats outlined here are causing serious harm to civilians in the Middle East, and that they also contribute to escalating the conflict, damaging the environment and the global economy, and that they risk degrading the rule of law and fundamental norms that protect every nation\u2019s civilians. Public statements by senior officials indicate an alarming disrespect for the rules of international humanitarian law accepted by states, and which protect both civilians and members of the armed forces.\u00a0
\n\u00a0\u00a0
\nWe urge U.S. government officials to uphold the UN Charter, international humanitarian law, and human rights law at all times, and to publicly make clear U.S. commitment to and respect for norms of international law.\u00a0<\/p>\n

We remind all states of their legal obligations not to aid or assist the United States, Israel, or Iran in the commission of\u00a0internationally wrongful acts, as well as to cooperate to bring to an end through lawful means serious breaches of\u00a0peremptory norms of general international law (jus cogens)\u00a0including the prohibition of aggression and the basic rules of international humanitarian law.\u00a0<\/p>\n

We also urge the U.S. governments\u2019 allies and cooperating partners to take steps to respect and ensure respect for international humanitarian law, in line with\u00a0Common Article 1\u00a0of the Geneva Conventions and associated\u00a0customary international law. The United States has itself\u00a0acknowledged\u00a0that states should seek to promote adherence by others to international humanitarian law. The International Committee of the Red Cross 2016\u00a0Commentary on the First Geneva Convention of 1949\u00a0provides that a state is \u201cin a unique position to influence the behavior\u201d of partner states where the state \u201cparticipates in the financing, equipping, arming or training of the armed forces of a Party to a conflict, even plans, carries out and debriefs operations jointly with such forces.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Signed,*<\/p>\n

William J. Aceves
\n\u2028Chief Justice Roger Traynor Professor of Law\u2028
\nCalifornia Western School of Law<\/p>\n

E. Tendayi Achiume
\n\u2028Professor of Law\u2028
\nStanford Law School<\/p>\n

Rabiat Akande
\n\u2028Wilson H. Elkins Chair and Associate Professor
\n\u2028University of Maryland School of Law<\/p>\n

Susan Akram\u2028
\nClinical Professor of Law\u2028
\nDirector, International Human Rights Clinic
\n\u2028Boston University School of Law<\/p>\n

Philip Alston\u2028
\nJohn Norton Pomeroy Professor of Law
\n\u2028NYU School of Law<\/p>\n

Jos\u00e9 E. Alvarez
\n\u2028Herbert and Rose Rubin Professor of International Law
\n\u2028NYU School of Law
\n\u2028Faculty Director, US-Asia Law Institute<\/p>\n

Diane Marie Amann\u2028
\nVisiting Professor, LSE Law School\u2028
\nSpecial Adviser to the International Criminal Court Prosecutor on Children in & affected by Armed Conflict (2012-2021)<\/p>\n

Baher Azmy\u2028
\nLegal Director\u2028
\nCenter for Constitutional Rights<\/p>\n

Sandra L. Babcock
\n\u2028Clinical Professor of Law
\n\u2028Director, International Human Rights Clinic
\n\u2028Cornell Law School<\/p>\n

Asl\u0131 \u00dc. B\u00e2li\u2028
\nHoward M. Holtzmann Professor of Law\u2028
\nYale Law School<\/p>\n

Carolyn P. Blum
\n\u2028Clinical Professor of Law, Emerita\u2028
\nBerkeley Law, University of California<\/p>\n

Christine Bustany\u2028
\nSenior Lecturer in International Law\u2028
\nFletcher School of Law and Diplomacy<\/p>\n

Charli Carpenter
\n\u2028Professor of Political Science
\n\u2028University of Massachusetts Department of Political Science<\/p>\n

Christina M. Cerna\u2028
\nAdjunct Professor of Law (ret.)\u2028
\nGeorgetown University Law Centre
\n\u2028Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (ret.), OAS<\/p>\n

Sandra Coliver\u2028
\nFormer Executive Director
\n\u2028Center for Justice and Accountability<\/p>\n

Jorge Contesse
\n\u2028Professor of Law
\n\u2028Rutgers Law School<\/p>\n

Cody Corliss\u2028
\nAssociate Professor of Law\u2028
\nWest Virginia University College of Law<\/p>\n

Avidan Y. Cover
\n\u2028Professor of Law\u2028
\nCase Western Reserve University School of Law<\/p>\n

Rebecca Crootof
\n\u2028Nancy Litchfield Hicks Professor of Law\u2028
\nUniversity of Richmond School of Law<\/p>\n

Jamil Dakwar\u2028
\nDirector, ACLU Human Rights Program
\n\u2028Adjunct Professor, New York University and Hunter College<\/p>\n

Tom Dannenbaum\u2028
\nProfessor of Law, Stanford Law School
\n\u2028Frank Stanton Professor of Nuclear Security\u2028
\nSenior Fellow, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University<\/p>\n

Frederick T. Davis
\n\u2028Lecturer in Law, Columbia Law School\u2028Principal,
\nFred Davis Law Office<\/p>\n

Christian M. De Vos
\n\u2028Visiting Assistant Professor
\n\u2028City University of New York School of Law<\/p>\n

Laura Dickinson
\n\u2028Lyle T. Alverson Professor of Law
\n\u2028The George Washington University Law School<\/p>\n

Stephanie Farrior
\n\u2028Professor of Law (ret.)<\/p>\n

Eugene R. Fidell\u2028
\nVisiting Lecturer in Law
\n\u2028Senior Research Scholar\u2028
\nYale Law School<\/p>\n

Martin S. Flaherty\u2028
\nCharles and Marie Robertson Visiting Professor\u2028
\nSchool of Public and International Affairs,
\nPrinceton University<\/p>\n

Laurel Fletcher
\n\u2028Chancellor\u2019s Clinical Professor of Law
\n\u2028UC Berkeley, School of Law<\/p>\n

Claudia Flores
\n\u2028Clinical Professor of Law
\n\u2028Director, Allard K. Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic\u2028
\nFaculty Co-Director, Orville H. Schell Jr. Center for International Human Rights
\n\u2028Yale Law School<\/p>\n

Idriss Fofana
\n\u2028Assistant Professor of Law
\n\u2028Harvard Law School<\/p>\n

Barbara Frey\u2028
\nDirector Emerita, Human Rights Program
\n\u2028University of Minnesota<\/p>\n

Hannah R. Garry
\n\u2028Clinical Professor of Law
\n\u2028Founding Faculty Director, Donna and Spencer Gilbert Global Justice & Human Rights Center
\n\u2028Founding Director, International Human Rights Clinic\u2028
\nUniversity of Southern California (USC) Gould School of Law<\/p>\n

James A. Goldston\u2028
\nExecutive Director
\n\u2028Open Society Justice Initiative<\/p>\n

Jonathan Hafetz
\n\u2028Professor of Law\u2028
\nSeton Hall Law School<\/p>\n

Lisa Hajjar
\n\u2028Professor of Sociology
\n\u2028University of California \u2013 Santa Barbara<\/p>\n

Rebecca Hamilton\u2028
\nProfessor of Law\u2028
\nAmerican University, Washington College of Law<\/p>\n

Hurst Hannum\u2028
\nProfessor Emeritus of International Law\u2028
\nFletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
\n\u2028Tufts University<\/p>\n

Oona A. Hathaway
\n\u2028Gerard C. and Bernice Latrobe Smith Professor of International Law, Yale Law School
\n\u2028Professor, Yale University Department of Political Science
\n\u2028Faculty, Jackson School of Global Affairs, Yale University
\n\u2028Director, Center for Global Legal Challenges, Yale Law School
\n\u2028President-elect, American Society of International Law<\/p>\n

Adil Haque
\n\u2028Distinguished Professor of Law and Judge Jon O. Newman Scholar
\n\u2028Rutgers Law School<\/p>\n

(Continued in right column)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Question related to this article:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n 
\n How can war crimes be documented, stopped, punished and prevented?<\/a> <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

(Continued from left column)<\/p>\n

Hadar Harris
\n\u2028Founder and Principal
\n\u2028Rights and Justice Consulting<\/p>\n

Lindsay M. Harris\u2028
\nProfessor of Law\u2028
\nDirector, International Human Rights Clinic\u2028
\nUniversity of San Francisco School of Law<\/p>\n

Sarah Harrison
\n\u2028Former Associate General Counsel
\n\u2028Department of Defense<\/p>\n

J. Benton Heath
\n\u2028Associate Professor of Law
\n\u2028Temple University School of Law<\/p>\n

Paul Hoffman
\n\u2028Director, Defending Democracy Clinic
\n\u2028University of California at Irvine School of Law\u2028
\nPartner, Schonbrun DeSimone Seplow Harris & Hoffman, LLP<\/p>\n

David B. Hunter
\n\u2028Professor Emeritus\u2028
\nAmerican University Washington College of Law<\/p>\n

Deena R. Hurwitz, Esq.
\nFounder of the International Human Rights Clinic at the University of Virginia<\/p>\n

Rebecca Ingber
\n\u2028Professor of Law\u2028
\nCardozo Law
\n\u2028Co-Director, Floersheimer Center for Constitutional Democracy\u2028Senior Fellow, Reiss Center on Law and Security,
\nNYU School of Law
\n\u2028Former Counselor, Office of the Legal Advisor, U.S Department of State<\/p>\n

Tejal Jesrani
\n\u2028Human Rights Clinical Instructor\u2028
\nDirector, TrialWatch Project\u2028
\nColumbia Law School<\/p>\n

Brett Jones\u2028
\nCharles E. Scheidt Human Rights Visiting Assistant Clinical Professor\u2028
\nBenjamin N. Cardozo School of Law<\/p>\n

Dr Ioannis Kalpouzos
\n\u2028Visiting Professor\u2028
\nHarvard Law School<\/p>\n

Jeffrey Kahn
\n\u2028Professor of Law\u2028
\nDirector, Program on Law and Government\u2028
\nAmerican University Washington College of Law<\/p>\n

David Kaye
\n\u2028Clinical Professor of Law
\n\u2028UC Irvine School of Law
\n\u2028UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression (2014 \u2013 2020)
\n\u2028U.S. Member, European Commission for Democracy through Law (\u201cVenice Commission\u201d)<\/p>\n

Pardiss Kebriaei\u2028
\nSenior Staff Attorney
\n\u2028Center for Constitutional Rights<\/p>\n

Michael J. Kelly
\n\u2028Professor of Law
\n\u2028Senator Allen A. Sekt Endowed Chair in Law\u2028
\nDirector, Kaiman Center for International Criminal Justice & Holocaust Studies\u2028
\nCreighton University<\/p>\n

Jocelyn Getgen Kestenbaum\u2028
\nProfessor of Law\u2028
\nBenjamin N. Cardozo School of Law<\/p>\n

John H. Knox\u2028
\nHenry C. Lauerman Professor of International Law\u2028
\nWake Forest University School of Law
\n\u2028Former UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment<\/p>\n

Harold Hongju Koh\u2028
\nSterling Professor of International Law\u2028
\nYale Law School<\/p>\n

Steven Arrigg Koh\u2028
\nR. Gordon Butler Scholar in International Law
\n\u2028Boston University School of Law<\/p>\n

Jeremy Konyndyk
\n\u2028President, Refugees International<\/p>\n

David A. Koplow
\n\u2028Scott K. Ginsburg Professor of Law\u2028
\nGeorgetown University Law Center<\/p>\n

Christopher Kutz\u2028
\nC. William Maxeiner Distinguished Professor of Law
\n\u2028Philosophy and Political Science (by courtesy)
\n\u2028Berkeley Law School, UC Berkeley<\/p>\n

Beatrice Lindstrom\u2028
\nSenior Clinical Instructor and Lecturer on Law\u2028
\nHarvard Law School<\/p>\n

Katerina Linos\u2028
\nI. Michael Heyman Professor of Law
\n\u2028Co-Faculty Director, Miller Institute for Global Challenges and the Law\u2028
\nUC Berkeley, School of Law<\/p>\n

Bert Lockwood
\n\u2028Distinguished Service Professor\u2028
\nDirector of the Urban Morgan Institute for Human Rights\u2028University of Cincinnati College of Law\u2028
\nEditor-in-Chief, Human Rights Quarterly<\/p>\n

David Luban\u2028
\nDistinguished University Professor
\n\u2028Georgetown University Law Center<\/p>\n

Kate Mackintosh
\n\u2028Executive Director, Professor from Practice
\n\u2028UCLA\u2019s The Promise Institute for Human Rights (Europe)<\/p>\n

David G. Mandel-Anthony\u2028
\nFaculty Instructor, Binghamton University Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (I-GMAP)
\n\u2028Former Deputy to the Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice, U.S. Department of State<\/p>\n

Sarah Margon
\n\u2028Founder and Principal, Windsong Advisory
\n\u2028Former Director of US Foreign Policy at Open Society Foundations<\/p>\n

Joseph Margulies\u2028
\nProfessor of the Practice of Government\u2028
\nCornell University<\/p>\n

Craig Martin
\n\u2028Professor of Law\u2028
\nCo-Director, International and Comparative Law Center
\n\u2028Washburn University School of Law<\/p>\n

Elisa Massimino
\n\u2028Visiting Professor of Law\u2028Executive
\nDirector, Human Rights Institute\u2028
\nGeorgetown University Law Center<\/p>\n

Daniel Maurer
\n\u2028Associate Professor of Law, Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law
\n\u2028Advisor, Center for Military Law & Policy, Texas Tech University School of Law
\n\u2028Board of Directors, National Institute of Military Justice\u2028Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army (ret.)<\/p>\n

Juan E. Mendez
\n\u2028Professor of International Law (ret.)
\n\u2028Former UN Special Rapporteur on Torture (2010-2016)
\n\u2028Washington College of Law, American University<\/p>\n

Gay J. McDougall
\n\u2028Former Vice Chair and 3-term Member, UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination\u2028
\nFormer UN Special Rapporteur on Minorities (2005-2011)\u2028MacArthur Award Fellow, 1999\u2028
\nSenior Fellow and Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence
\n\u2028Leitner Center for International Law and Justice \/ Center for Race, Law and Justice\u2028
\nFordham University School of Law<\/p>\n

Margaret E. McGuinness
\n\u2028Professor of Law\u2028
\nCo-Director, Center for International and Comparative Law
\n\u2028St. John\u2019s University School of Law<\/p>\n

Chi Adanna Mgbako
\n\u2028Clinical Professor of Law
\n\u2028Director, Walter Leitner International Human Rights Clinic\u2028Fordham Law School<\/p>\n

Zinaida Miller
\n\u2028Professor of Law & International Affairs\u2028
\nNortheastern University<\/p>\n

Saira Mohamed
\n\u2028Agnes Roddy Robb Chair in Jurisprudence, Ethics, and Social Responsibility
\n\u2028Professor of Law
\n\u2028UC Berkeley, School of Law<\/p>\n

Bridget Moix\u2028
\nGeneral Secretary, Friends Committee on National Legislation<\/p>\n

Priyanka Motaparthy
\n\u2028Director, Center for International Human Rights
\n\u2028Clinical Professor
\n\u2028Northwestern Pritzker School of Law<\/p>\n

Karen Musalo\u2028
\nBank of America Foundation Chair in International Law\u2028
\nProfessor & Director, Center for Gender & Refugee Studies
\n\u2028U.C. Law, San Francisco<\/p>\n

Aryeh Neier\u2028
\nPresident Emeritus, Open Society Foundations\u2028
\nFormer Executive Director, Human Rights Watch
\n\u2028Former Executive Director, American Civil Liberties Union<\/p>\n

Mary Ellen O\u2019Connell
\n\u2028Robert and Marion Short Professor of Law
\n\u2028Concurrent Professor of International Peace Studies\u2028
\nUniversity of Notre Dame<\/p>\n

Diane Orentlicher
\n\u2028Professor Emerita\u2028
\nAmerican University Washington College of Law<\/p>\n

Arzoo Osanloo
\n\u2028Professor of Anthropology
\n\u2028Co-Director of the Human Rights Initiative\u2028
\nPrinceton University<\/p>\n

Jessica Peake
\n\u2028Director, International & Comparative Law Program
\n\u2028UCLA School of Law<\/p>\n

Stephen J. Rapp\u2028
\nSenior Fellow, Center for National Security Law, Georgetown Law School
\n\u2028Former US Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice (2009-2015)<\/p>\n

Paul Rink
\n\u2028Associate Professor of Law
\n\u2028Seton Hall Law School<\/p>\n

Francisco J. Rivera Juaristi
\n\u2028Clinical Professor of Law\u2028
\nSanta Clara Law<\/p>\n

Scott Roehm\u2028
\nAdjunct Professor of Law
\n\u2028Georgetown Law School<\/p>\n

Dr. Cesare P.R. Romano\u2028
\nProfessor of Law
\n\u2028W. Joseph Ford Fellow
\n\u2028Loyola Law School, Los Angeles<\/p>\n

Gabor Rona
\n\u2028Professor of Practice\u2028
\nCardozo Law School<\/p>\n

Naomi Roht-Arriaza
\n\u2028Distinguished Professor of Law Emerita
\n\u2028UC Law San Francisco<\/p>\n

Brad R. Roth
\n\u2028Professor of Political Science and Law\u2028
\nWayne State University<\/p>\n

Kenneth Roth\u2028
\nCharles and Marie Robertson Visiting Professor\u2028
\nPrinceton School of Public and International Affairs\u2028
\nFormer Executive Director, Human Rights Watch<\/p>\n

Susana S\u00e1Couto
\n\u2028Professorial Lecturer-in-Residence\u2028
\nDirector, War Crimes Research Office
\n\u2028Director, Summer Law Program in The Hague
\n\u2028American University Washington College of Law<\/p>\n

Leila Nadya Sadat
\n\u2028James Carr Professor of International Criminal Law
\n\u2028Washington University School of Law
\n\u2028Director, Crimes Against Humanity Initiative
\n\u2028Chair, International Law Association (American Branch)
\n\u2028Former Special Advisor on Crimes Against Humanity to the ICC Prosecutor (2013-2023)<\/p>\n

Margaret L. Satterthwaite
\n\u2028Professor of Law\u2028, NYU School of Law<\/p>\n

Beth Van Schaack
\n\u2028Former Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice, U.S. State Department
\n\u2028Visiting Fellow (Feb. 2026 \u2013 June 2026)\u2028
\nEuropean University Institute\u2028
\nDistinguished Fellow\u2028
\nCenter for Human Rights & International Justice,
\nStanford University<\/p>\n

Michael P. Scharf
\n\u2028President of the American Branch of the International Law Association\u2028
\nJoseph C. Hostetler \u2013 BakerHostetler Professor of Law
\n\u2028Case Western Reserve University School of Law<\/p>\n

Michael N. Schmitt
\n\u2028Professor of International Law, University of Reading\u2028
\nProfessor Emeritus, US Naval War College
\n\u2028Former G. Norman Lieber Distinguished Scholar, West Point<\/p>\n

Steven M. Schneebaum
\n\u2028Adjunct Professor\u2028Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
\n\u2028Visiting Professor, Tashkent State University of Law, Uzbekistan<\/p>\n

Eric Schwartz
\n\u2028Professor of Public Affairs
\n\u2028Chair, Global Policy
\n\u2028University of Minnesota<\/p>\n

Elizabeth Shackelford\u2028
\nDistinguished Lecturer
\n\u2028Dartmouth College<\/p>\n

Gregory Shaffer\u2028
\nScott K. Ginsburg Professor of International Law
\n\u2028Georgetown University Law Center<\/p>\n

Dinah Shelton
\n\u2028Manatt\/Ahn Professor of Law (Emeritus)\u2028The George Washington University Law School<\/p>\n

Rebecca Shoot\u2028
\nCo-Convener, Washington Working Group for the International Criminal Court\u2028Co-Convener, ImPact Coalition on Strengthening International Judicial Institutions<\/p>\n

James Silk\u2028
\nBinger Clinical Professor Emeritus of Human Rights
\n\u2028Yale Law School<\/p>\n

Matiangai Sirleaf\u2028
\nNathan Patz Professor of Law
\n\u2028University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law\u2028Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health\u2028University of Maryland School of Medicine<\/p>\n

David Sloss\u2028
\nJohn A. and Elizabeth H. Sutro Professor of Law
\n\u2028Santa Clara University School of Law<\/p>\n

Stephan Sonnenberg\u2028
\nAssociate Professor of Practice\u2028
\nWesleyan University<\/p>\n

Milena Sterio
\n\u2028James A. Thomas Distinguished Professor of Law & LLM Programs Director
\n\u2028Cleveland State University College of Law<\/p>\n

Jonathan Tracy
\n\u2028Former Judge Advocate, U.S. Army<\/p>\n

Jennifer Trahan
\n\u2028Clinical Professor and Director of the Concentration in International Law and Human Rights
\n\u2028NYU Center for Global Affairs\u2028
\nConvenor, The Global Institute for the Prevention of Aggression<\/p>\n

Rachel E. VanLandingham
\n\u2028Lieutenant Colonel (USAF) (ret.)\u2028Professor of Law & Associate Dean for Research, Southwestern Law School\u2028
\nPresident Emerita & Director, National Institute of Military Justice<\/p>\n

*\u00a0Signatories are signing in their individual capacities and affiliations are for identification purposes only.<\/p>\n

– – – – – –<\/p>\n

If you wish to make a comment on this article, you may write to coordinator@cpnn-world.org with the title “Comment on (name of article)” and we will put your comment on line. Because of the flood of spam, we have discontinued the direct application of comments.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY . An article from Just Security The United States and Israel initiated strikes on Iran over one month ago, on February 28, 2026. The attack was a clear violation of the United Nations Charter. The conduct of the war, and statements of U.S. officials, also raise serious concerns about violations of international … Continue reading Over 100 International Law Experts Warn: U.S. Strikes on Iran Violate UN Charter and May Be War Crimes<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,91],"tags":[5],"class_list":["post-39317","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-disarmament","category-north-america","tag-north-america"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39317","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=39317"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39317\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39321,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39317\/revisions\/39321"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=39317"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=39317"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=39317"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}