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Law

The Application of Universal Jurisdiction for War Crimes

Quick fact

In 1998, a Spanish court attempted to extradite former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet from the UK to stand trial for torture and crimes against humanity, using universal jurisdiction. Though Pinochet was eventually released on health grounds, the case set a global precedent that former heads of state could be held accountable in foreign courts for international crimes.

Why this is interesting

Imagine a crime so grave that any country on Earth could arrest and try the perpetrator—even if the crime happened thousands of miles away and involved none of its citizens. This is the promise of universal jurisdiction.