Videos on TCL

Since 19 November 2023, the Houthis, a non-state armed group based in Yemen, have carried out over 30 attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The Red Sea, which connects the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal, is a vital trade route, with an estimated 12% of global trade passing through it each year. In response to the Houthis’ actions, a coalition of states, including the United States and United Kingdom, has carried out air and missile strikes against Houthi targets. This fast-developing situation raises numerous critical questions regarding regional and worldwide maritime security, as well as the relevance and application of international law. For example, are the Houthis’ attacks a novel threat for maritime security, or are there historical precedents? Furthermore, how should the Houthis’ actions, and the military responses, be assessed under international law? In addition, to what extent is the freedom of navigation, a fundamental principle of the international law of the sea, jeopardised by the Houthis’ actions?

The following interview was conducted with Bakayoko Ibourahema, advocate general at the Court of Appeal in Abidjan in Ivory Coast, and participant of the ICL-TCL training held at the T.M.C. Asser Instituut in The Hague in March 2019. Mr Ibourahema elaborates on the challenges national magistrates face when confronted with issues of International Criminal and Transnational Criminal Law, and the principle of complementarity.

The ICL-TCL training course aims to strengthen domestic legal capacities in francophone African countries facing challenges in the administration of justice. The training course is co-organised by the Asser Institute, the International Nuremberg Principles Academy and the Antonio Cassese Initiative. 

On 25 June 2015, Mr Tomas Hamilton explained during a brief interview with Ms Anna Benedetti, team member of the International Crimes Database project, ‘The Role of International Criminal Law in Regulating the Arms Trade’. Mr Hamilton has also written an ICD Brief on this topic, titled ‘Regulating the Arms Trade – The Potential of International Criminal Law’.