‘Although the Court has automatic jurisdiction over member states having ratified the Rome Statute, it cannot prosecute a crime if the states involved have not recognized its jurisdiction. Neither Russia nor Ukraine have accepted the ICC’s jurisdiction over the crime of aggression, the very crime with which the Russian regime is accused.’

‘This is the case with respect for human dignity, the “right to life”, and the prohibition of eugenics. After the Second World War, states wanted to give these principles international legal force. They were formulated in particular in response to Aktion T4, the programme of euthanasia of thousands of disabled people under the Nazi regime in Germany.’

In a ruling delivered on 12 November 2024, the ECHR condemned Denmark for deporting an Iraqi drug trafficker. The European judges established new principles in this case that could set a precedent and further limit States’ rights to deport foreign criminals. The ruling also undermines UN conventions on drug control.

Two elections this week at the Council of Europe will determine the institution’s future orientation. On Tuesday, 25 June the new Secretary General of the Council of Europe will be elected for a five-year term. On Wednesday, 26 June three new judges for the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) will be elected for a nine-year term. Senior Research Fellow at the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) Nicolas Bauer points out the risk of a leftist takeover.