Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 9hI discuss how Trump's attack on the International Criminal Court is an effort to make the world safe for American and Israeli war criminals. The European Union should invoke its blocking statute. The ICC should charge Trump and Marco Rubio with obstruction of justice. 022
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 02/10/2026While negotiators to prevent "killer robots" dithered, A.I. weapon systems have already arrived. Even in war, an algorithm should not be deciding who lives and dies. Why are we letting machines play God? I explain in the Guardian: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comAI weapons systems are already here. Algorithms must not decide who lives and dies | Kenneth RothIsrael’s conduct in Gaza shows the danger of using AI in warfare. Humans must remain at the center of wartime decisions 012
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 11/09/2026If Bush’s abusive response to the September 11 attacks had been prosecuted rather than swept under the rug, Trump would be less able to pursue his lawless policies today. We can’t rewind history, but we can learn from our historic failure. I explain: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comGeorge W Bush’s impunity led to Trump’s lawlessness | Kenneth RothThe reluctance of later administrations to repudiate Bush-era torture and endless detention laid the groundwork for recent violence 063
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 08/09/2026I discuss Israel's war-crime expansion of settlements, the aim of its E1 project to render a contiguous Palestinian state impossible, and how the international response is toughening but inadequate -- on Asia One News. www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcKX...youtube.comCourt Allows Tender For 1234 Housing Units | Kenneth Roth | Asia One NewsYouTube video by Asia One News 072
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 28/08/2026The death sentences for ex Syrian Pres Assad and others were the first Syrian court judgments against the deposed rulers. But the proceedings were plagued by problems, including the death penalty after an in absentia trial, that don't help build the rule of law. www.justsecurity.org/155118/limit...justsecurity.orgA Sentence in Damascus and An Accused in Moscow: The Limits of Syria’s First Attempt at AccountabilityBashar Al-Assad's in absentia conviction represents a milestone in Syria's justice system, but the trial was plagued by glaring problems. 042
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 21/08/2026Marco Rubio claims the International Criminal Court infringes American sovereignty, but what he really means is that it impedes Trump's self-declared prerogative to commit war crimes in ICC member states with impunity. I explain in the Guardian: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comWith ICC sanctions, Trump wants to make the world safe for war criminals | Kenneth RothThe US is engaged in a lawless quest to protect American and Israeli officials 0128
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 20/08/2026I discussed Trump's latest outrageous sanctions against the International Criminal Court as a quest to make the world safe for American and Israeli war criminals -- on Al Jazeera English's Inside Story. www.youtube.com/watch?v=C10o...youtube.comCould US sanctions destroy the International Criminal Court? | Inside StoryYouTube video by Al Jazeera English 063
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 14/08/2026Rather than investigate the often-unbridled violence of Trump's immigration agents, the administration deployed its enormous investigative powers to pursue a vendetta against an array of groups that opposed its deportation agenda. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comTrump’s spying on left-wing groups recalls J Edgar Hoover’s Cointelpro | Ken RothThe FBI from the 1950s to the 1970s tried to infiltrate and discredit leftist organizations. Trump seems to be repeating that sordid practice 0118
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 05/08/2026Trump has quietly withdrawn his dangerous "compact" for universities -- there were hardly any takers -- but that doesn't mean his effort to undermine academic freedom has ended. It has just taken new forms. Continued collective resistance is still needed. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comTrump’s university ‘compact’ is gone. That doesn’t mean the assault on education is over | Kenneth RothThe administration’s proposed agreement met a scathing response. But universities must remain vigilant 055
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 29/07/2026My book, Righting Wrongs: Three Decades on the Front Lines Battling Abusive Governments, is now out in paperback. It describes that strategies that have worked to force highly abusive governments to behave better. www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/739898...penguinrandomhouse.comRighting Wrongs by Kenneth Roth: 9780593686973 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: BooksFrom the long-time head of Human Rights Watch, the fascinating and inspiring story of taking on the biggest villains and toughest autocrats around the world “A remarkable book that will restore... 041
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 28/07/2026I discuss Marco Rubio's attack on the International Criminal Court as he advances the absurd "principle" that Americans (and their lawless allies such as Israel) should be able to commit war crimes even on the territory of ICC member states with impunity. www.rnz.co.nz/national/pro...rnz.co.nzKenneth Roth on protecting the International Criminal CourtAmerican Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he wants to dismantle the International Criminal Court. New Zealand is one of the 125 countries that has signed up to the ICC, which investigates and tries... 134
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 23/07/2026Trump’s nuclear deal has handed Saudi Arabia the same nuclear options that he swore Iran would never have. That makes a mockery of a main reason for this pointless war, which now must clearly end. I explain: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comWhy would Trump agree to the absurd Saudi nuclear deal? | Kenneth RothThe agreement offers the Saudis the same options Trump has sworn Iran will never have 012
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 16/07/2026Marco Rubio falls back on nonsensical arguments for attacking the International Criminal Court. The Trump administration’s real goal is impunity for war crimes committed on the territory of ICC member states. I explain: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comWhy does the US want to ‘dismantle’ the international criminal court? | Kenneth RothMarco Rubio has offered nonsensical rationale in attacking the court. The Trump administration’s real goal is impunity 053
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 06/07/2026How do we commemorate America’s democracy as Trump undermines it? By embracing his opposition. The US was founded by breaking from a monarchy. Trump wants to become king. The resistance is worth celebrating. I explain: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comTrump is a danger to US democracy. But the resistance is working | Kenneth RothThe president has made dangerous inroads in his push toward autocracy. Yet the prospects for his success are dimming 165
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 30/06/2026Washington's unconditional support for Israel is splitting Republicans and becoming toxic among Democrats. A generational shirt is underway. Few want complicity in Israel's genocide, apartheid, war crimes, and endless occupation. I explain: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comA generational shift is transforming the US-Israel relationship | Kenneth RothThe Iran war has accelerated the fraying of ties. An end to unconditional US support would force a reckoning with reality 1149
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 18/06/2026No amount of Trump’s spin can obscure the fact that his newly announced deal with Iran is one big lesson in why this war should never have been launched. I explain: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comTrump’s war accomplished nothing – the Iran deal is proof | Kenneth RothA leaked version of the agreement shows the US is in a weaker position than before the war 0104
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 10/06/2026In an historic first, victims of atrocities in Sudan have asked prosecutors in Kenya to investigate torture and sexual violence by members of the notorious Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, which is armed by the United Arab Emirates. apnews.com/article/keny...,apnews.comFirst war crimes complaint against Sudan's paramilitary forces filed in KenyaTwelve Sudanese victims of alleged atrocities linked to the war in their country on Tuesday asked Kenya’s prosecutors to investigate allegations of torture and sexual violence by members of a notoriou... 043
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 09/06/2026A chief prosecutor needs to be known for the truth. If the ICC Bureau has repudiated Karim Khan’s denials, it shreds his credibility and raises questions as to whether he should even continue to contest the charges as opposed to resigning for the benefit of the court. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/08/w...nytimes.comI.C.C. Prosecutor Suspended, but Future at Court Remains Unresolved 022
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 08/06/2026The International Criminal Court's bureau suspends chief prosecutor Karim Khan following sexual misconduct allegations and sends the matter to a special session of the Assembly of States Parties to determine his fate. trib.al/u9rMMIs My background: trib.al/m4vAkomtrib.alDecision of the Bureau concerning the outcome of disciplinary proceedings involving the Prosecutor of the International Criminal CourtAt its meeting on 8 June 2026, the Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, by qualified majority: made a decision on the disciplinary proceedi... 011
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 03/06/2026Syria's first trial of an Assad-era official is an important step forward, but its limits highlight the steps that the new authorities must take for a real transitional-justice process. I explain, along with Fadel Abdulghany. www.justsecurity.org/140393/syria...justsecurity.orgSyria’s Accountability Gap: The Najib Trial and the Case for the ICCThe first criminal trial against a senior Assad regime official comes at a time when Syria’s legal framework remains inadequate. 040
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 01/06/2026Trump claims to have mastered the “Art of the Deal,” but he has just given us a master class in negotiating incompetence. I explain why the Iranians have the upper hand after his disastrous war of choice: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comTrump had no plan B for Iran. It shows | Kenneth RothThe US president’s war of choice has accomplished nothing and cost the world greatly 022
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 19/05/2026European governments are so intent on protecting Armenia's democracy from Russian interference that they are ignoring how Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan himself is undermining a free and fair election. I explain: foreignpolicy.com/2026/05/19/a...foreignpolicy.comCan Armenia’s Democracy Prevail?Unconditional Western support for the incumbent prime minister could backfire. 001
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 19/05/2026The International Criminal Court member states should NOT defer to chief prosecutor Karim Khan's claims of having been exonerate for the sexual abuse allegations against him. They should insist on real fact-finding which the internal probe never did. I explain: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comThe ICC’s investigation of its chief prosecutor has been a failure | Kenneth RothKarim Khan is wrong to say he has been exonerated of sexual misconduct. The case must proceed swiftly 010
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 19/05/2026I discuss Israeli war crimes in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon -- on Asia One. www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOlF...youtube.comHumanitarian Concerns Deepen In G@za | Kenneth Roth, Former HRW Executive | Asia One NewsYouTube video by Asiaonenews 021
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 02/05/2026European governments are so preoccupied fighting Russian interference in Armenia's June 7 parliamentary election that they are closing their eyes to PM Nikol Pashinyan's autocratic attacks on the opposition. That risks destroying democracy to "save" it. I explain: www.lefigaro.fr/vox/monde/l-...lefigaro.frL’Europe sacrifie-t-elle la démocratie arménienne ?FIGAROVOX/TRIBUNE - À l’approche des législatives arméniennes, les Européens voient en Pachinian un rempart contre l’influence russe. Une attitude qui risque de sacrifier la démocratie au nom de sa dé... 001
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 21/04/2026Hungarian voters' rejection of their autocratic prime minister, Viktor Orban, holds important lessons for efforts in the United States to resist Trump's own autocratic tendencies. Here are nine lessons that I draw: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comNine lessons for the US from Viktor Orbán’s defeat | Kenneth RothAs US elections approach, the Hungarian prime minister’s loss is a reminder that history does not march relentlessly toward autocracy 033
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 19/04/2026I explain on the BBC why Trump's threatened attacks on bridges and power plants in Iran would be war crimes. Perpetrators could be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court (if Iran joins or a future US administration allows it) or by national courts using universal jurisdiction. 021
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 15/04/2026We do NOT live in a post-shame world. Leaders may be beyond personal redemption but still care about public opinion because they must pretend to serve the public rather than only themselves. Maintaining power by sheer repression is dangerous. I explain: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vInr...youtube.comThe power of shame in a post-truth world | Ken Roth, ex-director of Human Rights WatchYouTube video by The Institute of Art and Ideas 022
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 13/04/2026Trump's war has ironically emboldened Iran. Netanyahu wants more war, as usual, but there's no reason to think the end result will be any better. It's time for Trump to end the warmongering and accept that diplomacy is the only solution. I explain: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comTrump’s war has emboldened Iran. Diplomacy is the only solution | Kenneth RothThe military approach has backfired, with Iran’s position only strengthened. But the door is still open to a deal 044
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 07/04/2026Trump may think he is above the law, but if he carries out his threats to commit war crimes in Iran, there are two ways he can be prosecuted -- Iran joining the International Criminal Court, or a group of governments creating a special tribunal. I explain: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comIf Trump commits war crimes in Iran, he can be prosecuted | Kenneth RothThere is no question that Trump’s threats, if carried out, would amount to war crimes. The international justice system is positioned to act 166
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 04/04/2026Americans are protected by two oceans, but the effects of Trump's war-of-choice are still being felt: oil prices are rising, fertilizer shortages may affect food prices, big cuts in housing, education & healthcare are proposed to fund Trump's war: I explain on India's NewsX World. 045
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 03/04/2026I describe on Al Jazeera English how Trump is overseeing and threatening war crimes in Iran. His defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, is signaling that military commanders should be indifferent to protecting Iranian civilians. This is lawless, criminal conduct. 0107
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 03/04/2026I joined Al Jazeera English today to discuss the war crimes that Trump and Netanyahu are committing in Iran by deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure based on the flimsiest of military pretexts. mediaview.aljazeera.com/video/atAvSK...mediaview.aljazeera.comRoth12-030426 022
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 02/04/2026More than 100 international law experts (myself included) warn that U.S. strikes on Iran violate the U.N. Charter (no evidence that Iran posed an imminent threat that could justify a self-defense claim) and may be war crimes (attacks on civilian sites). www.justsecurity.org/135423/profe...justsecurity.orgOver 100 International Law Experts Warn: U.S. Strikes on Iran Violate UN Charter and May Be War CrimesOver 100 international law experts sign letter on Iran War, UN Charter, and international humanitarian law. 01111
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 02/04/2026Trump's self-congratulatory speech last night was divorced from reality. He insisted that his war with Iran must continue for another two or three weeks but couldn't come up with a single coherent explanation for why. My take in the Guardian: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comTrump’s surreal speech on Iran shed no light on his goals | Kenneth RothThe US president couldn’t give a single coherent reason for why this aggressive war of choice must still be prosecuted 022
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 31/03/2026I discuss Israel's new deeply disturbing, discriminatory death-penalty law on ABC News. I describe its unseemly and unfair rush to execution with inadequate procedures for fair trials. www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcuF...youtube.comIsrael death penalty law ‘deeply disturbing, inhumane and discriminatory’: Kenneth Roth | ABC NEWSYouTube video by ABC News (Australia) 073
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 26/03/2026I discuss with RNZ the lessons from my book as applied to today's big challenges to international law, human rights and democracy. The bottom line: we should not despair or become fatalistic. There is a lot we can do to fight back against this lawlessness. www.rnz.co.nz/national/pro...rnz.co.nzKenneth Roth on holding regimes to accountKenneth Roth, the former long-term executive director of Human Rights Watch, has spent over 30 years using strategic international shaming to hold repressive regimes accountable across more than 100 c... 032
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 24/03/2026If Trump acts in his threat to “obliterate” Iran’s electrical infrastructure, it would be a war crime, no different from what the International Criminal Court already charged four Russian commanders for doing in Ukraine. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/24/u...nytimes.comTrump’s Threat to Iran Crosses a Line, Rights Experts Say 032
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 24/03/2026Trump's struggle to justify continuing to bomb Iran reminds me of Nixon's "peace with honor" in Vietnam. Countless numbers of innocent people are killed just to allow a US president to save face. I explain: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comWhy is Trump still bombing Iran? Nixon’s Vietnam record offers a clue | Kenneth RothRichard Nixon’s strategy was about shielding his own reputation. Now Trump needs a face-saving exit of his own 030
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 18/03/2026Trump needs to reject Netanyahu's quest for a forever war. Instead of regime change, so far all the bombing has produced only regime reinforcement. I explain: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comTrump needs to reject Netanyahu’s quest for a forever war | Kenneth RothInstead of regime change, all the bombing has produced so far is regime reinforcement and no end in sight 013
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 01/03/2026Trump's and Netanyahu’s attack on Iran is an illegal act of aggression -- no different from Putin’s invasion of Ukraine or Rwandan president Kagame’s invasion of the Democratic Republic of Congo. I explain: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comTrump and Netanyahu’s attack on Iran is an illegal act of aggression | Kenneth RothTheir actions are no different from Putin’s invasion of Ukraine or Rwandan president Paul Kagame’s invasion of the Democratic Republic of Congo 055
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 26/02/2026While some in the West are willing to forsake democracy for the far right, large numbers of people in the global South who live under autocracies repeatedly take to the streets to show they want democracy. This is no time for fatalistic despair. I explain: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comAutocracy is rising in the west. But the global south proves it’s not inevitable | Kenneth RothWhile some who have lived their entire lives under democracy seem willing to forsake it, many who have experienced life under autocracy want out 021
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 22/02/2026On book tour in New Zealand, I joined TVNZ's Q&A to discuss the defense of human rights in this hostile era. We address Israel-Gaza, China, Iran, Russia-Ukraine, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Hungary, and more. www.1news.co.nz/2026/02/22/n...1news.co.nzNZ must build coalitions to defend human rights: visiting expertKenneth Roth is the former executive director of Human Rights Watch and spent decades investigating and exposing human rights violations. 011
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 20/02/2026My assessment of the new Syrian government so far — the major progress it has made and the considerable challenges before it, with Fadel Abdul Ghany. opiniojuris.org/2026/02/20/a...opiniojuris.orgAssessing Syria’s Progress Since Assad[Fadel Abdulghany is executive director of the Syrian Network for Human Rights and author of The Use of Chemical Weapons in Syria and the Failure of the International Community and Undermining the … 001
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 16/02/2026I will be speaking today in Auckland, New Zealand about the issues from my book, Righting Wrongs. I'll be joined by Helen Clark and Amanda Ellis at an event sponsored by Global Women. globalwomen.org.nz/event/perspe...globalwomen.org.nzPerspectives on Global Governance and Human Rights - Global WomenJoin us for a timely and thought-provoking panel discussion featuring Rt Hon Helen Clark, Amanda Ellis and Ken Roth, hosted by Buddle Findlay. Together, they will explore the state of […] 000
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 16/02/2026To understand whether recent war-time attacks on civilians spell the end of international humanitarian law, examine the reaction. It has been weaker than it should be but still considerable, meaning it is premature to pronounce the law dead. I explain: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comInternational humanitarian law is at risk – but it still carries weight | Kenneth RothA study says IHL is at ‘critical breaking point’ amid horrendous violations in Gaza, Sudan and elsewhere. But to declare its demise would be premature 002
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 28/01/2026Trump didn't pull the trigger for the Minneapolis killings, but he bears political responsibility for having greenlighted his deportation agents’ regularly lawless conduct. I explain: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comTwo are dead in Minneapolis. Trump is to blame | Kenneth RothThe US president bears political responsibility for having greenlighted ICE agents’ regularly lawless conduct 032
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 27/01/2026I joined India's NewsX World to discuss the hypocrisy of Western nations in closing their eyes to serious abuses by Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey -- and even India. www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIkO...youtube.comFL Season 4, Episode 31: Human Rights, Power and Global Hypocrisy with Kenneth Roth | NewsX WorldYouTube video by NewsX World 031
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 27/01/2026Censorship to defend Israel is the WRONG response to the horrible Bondi Beach massacre. Australia keeps getting it wrong, first with the disinvitation of a Palestinian writer from the Adelaide Festival, now with the over-the-top hate-speech law. I explain: www.deepcutnews.com/p/censorship...deepcutnews.comCensorship is not the answer to Bondi - Kenneth RothA democratic society should debate a broad range of views, the former Human Rights Watch executive director writes 095
Ken Roth @kennethroth.bsky.social · 26/01/2026I have been writing a lot for the Guardian over the past couple of years. I am thrilled that they have now chosen to name me a columnist. www.theguardian.com/profile/kenn...theguardian.comKenneth Roth | The Guardian<p>Kenneth Roth is a Guardian US columnist and visiting professor at Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs, and former executive director of Human Rights Watch. He is the author of&nb... 010