On 3 and 4 March, the 2nd Doctoral Seminar on International Criminal Law, International Human Rights Law and International Humanitarian Law was held at the Siracusa International Institute for Criminal Justice and Human Rights in Sicily. Ida Asscher and Anna Smulders, both PhD Candidates at the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies in Leiden, presented their research.
Ida Asscher presented her research on nationality deprivation of foreign terrorist fighters in Syria and Iraq. She argued that by depriving foreign terrorist fighters and their family members of their nationality, States are shifting responsibilities, potential security threats and a burden to counter terrorism to other States. The practice of nationality deprivation has extensively been researched from the perspective of international human rights law. Ida's presented research, however, focuses on other rules and obligations under public international law which regulate buck-passing through the deprivation of nationality. For example, the obligation to cooperate in combatting terrorism, the obligation the re-admit nationals and the role of the notion of predominant nationality.
Anna Smulders presented her research on the influence of disinformation on the law-science interface, taking on an international human rights perspective for this particular conference. Focusing on 'the right to science', she highlighted a number of problematic aspects of modern-day disinformation, varying from affecting the accessibility and reliability of scientific information, to delaying progress in scientific advancement and threatening the safety of scientists. A lively interaction with the audience and the steering committee provided valuable insights on the way forward concerning the broader question of Anna's research on how information law applies to disinformation.
