International Crimes in Belgian Law and Practice

Belgium has a paradoxical relationship with international crimes. Once at the forefront of efforts to combat impunity through a far-reaching universal jurisdiction regime (1993-2003), it has now reverted to more limited grounds of extraterritorial jurisdiction and a more restrictive legal framework for the prosecution of international crimes in general. Yet Belgian courts have continued to deal with a little-known but substantial body of cases involving genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes since 2003.
In his presentation, Christophe Deprez will introduce his recent book Crimes internationaux : le droit et la pratique belges (Brussels, Larcier, 2025), which maps and analyses this practice on the basis of some 200 (mostly unpublished) judicial decisions. Drawing on his experience as a former criminal lawyer and his subsequent academic research, he will explore what Belgian practice reveals about the opportunities and constraints of domestic proceedings for international crimes. Overall, the presentation will highlight the gap between Belgium’s ambitious legal framework and the limited resources devoted to investigating and prosecuting international crimes in practice.