Please note: Due to unforseen circumstances, the lecture will be held via Skype from Italy.

CMI in collaboration with the Law Faculty, University of Bergen, has the pleasure of inviting you to a lecture by M. Cherif Bassiouni. The lecture will be followed by a recepeption.

Please register here by 27 May 2013.

M. Cherif Bassiouni is a distinguished scholar of international criminal law and international human rights. Of Egyptian origin, he taught for many years at DePaul University in Chicago, where he is now Emeritus Professor of Law. He is also President Emeritus of the International Human Rights Law Institute, and president of the International Institute of Higher Studies in Criminal Sciences, Siracusa, Italy.

Professor Bassiouni has served in numerous  United Nations positions, including Chair of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry for Libya (2011), Independent Expert, UN Commission on Human Rights, for Afghanistan, (2004-06); Independent Expert on The Rights to Restitution, Compensation and Rehabilitation for Victims of Grave Violations of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (1998-2000); Chair, Drafting Committee, UN Diplomatic Conference on the Establishment of an International Criminal Court (1998) and Chair, UN Commission of Experts to Investigate Violations of International Humanitarian Law in the Former Yugoslavia (1993-94).

He has been nominated to the Nobel Peace Prize.

Bassiouni has been a consultant to the U.S. government in matters relating to international traffic in drugs (1973), international control of terrorism (1975 and 1978-79) and the defense of U.S. hostages in Iran (1979-80).

Professor Bassiouni is the author of 24 and editor of 43 books on International Criminal Law, Comparative Criminal Law, Human Rights, and U.S. Criminal Law; and the author of 265 articles published in law journals and books in the U.S. and other countries. His publications have been written in Arabic, English, French, Italian and Spanish

His most recent books are:

Crimes Against Humanity: Historical Evolution and Contemporary Application (2011) traces the evolution of crimes against humanity and their application from the end of World War I to the present day, in terms of both historic legal analysis and subject-matter content.

The Institutionalization of Torture by the Bush Administration: Is Anyone Responsible? (2010)  examines how American governmental institutions bypassed international law in order to allow the creation of a policy that permitted torture and outlines what must be done to rectify the situation.