Sergey Vasiliev: 'The international legal order is under pressure from the world’s most powerful states'

On Friday 13 June 2025 at 4 PM, Vasiliev will deliver his inaugural lecture 'Justitia and Leviathans: The Struggle for the International Rule of Law'. The inaugural lecture can be followed live via ou.nl/live.

International courts

'It's a curious time to be a professor of international law,' says Vasiliev. 'It's like conducting an orchestra on the Titanic.' International courts such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) are mandated to deliver justice, but lack the means to enforce their judgments. The authority of the ICC in particular is being eroded by selective cooperation, political obstruction and open contempt.

Double standards undermine the international rule of law

According to Vasiliev, the divergent attitudes of states towards accountability for violations of international law in the conflicts in Ukraine and Palestine epitomize this existential crisis. After Putin's invasion of Ukraine and Israel's unrestrained war against Gaza, the international courts spoke out, but their decisions have remained without effect. Western countries that rightly take a hard line against Putin's regime have refused to act against their ally Israel. 'Autocracies do not have a monopoly on violations of international law. Democratically elected leaders can also orchestrate atrocities. Western countries' resistance to accountability, and their merely selective support for international courts, undermine the international rule of law and the pursuit of justice in all situations. This also affects the rule of law at the national level,' Vasiliev states in his inaugural lecture.

Political will to guarantee the international rule of law

Nevertheless, he sees opportunities to turn this tide. The solution lies in mobilizing the political will to uphold the principles of the rule of law at the international level: states must compel each other to take international courts seriously, even if it is politically inexpedient. International organisations such as the EU must also play their role in this in a more consistent and decisive manner. Countries from the Global South could take the lead in defending international justice. 'International law is not dead,' Vasiliev concludes. 'But the will to keep it alive is crumbling. Law is not a perfect instrument, but it is an indispensable one. For many victims, it is the last hope for justice.'

Symposium

Prior to Sergey Vasiliev's inaugural lecture, a symposium bearing the same title will take place during which experts will explore the question: how can we protect and strengthen the international legal order in an era of mounting lawlessness? More information about the symposium and program can be found on the symposiumpage.

About Sergey Vasiliev

Prof. dr. Sergey Vasiliev, LLM (1981) has been Professor of International Law at the Faculty of Law of the Open Universiteit since 1 June 2024. Prior to that, he worked as an associate professor of international, comparative and European criminal law at the University of Amsterdam (2019-2024), and as an assistant professor of international law at Leiden University (2016-2019). Vasiliev obtained his PhD with distinction from the University of Amsterdam in 2014 with the dissertation: 'International Criminal Trials: A Normative Theory' and LL.M in International, European and Comparative Law with distinction from Maastricht University (2005). He has published extensively and is a co-author of a leading handbook on international criminal law (5th edition, Cambridge University Press 2024).

Vasiliev regularly engages with the media on developments in international justice and provides expert advice to civil society organizations on issues related to the prosecution of international crimes.

Prof. dr. mr. Sergey Vasiliev