The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Humanitarian Law & Policy blog is a unique space for timely analysis and debate on international humanitarian law (IHL) issues and the policies that shape humanitarian action.
Influencer, gamer, soldier, spy: the online era of child recruitment and its implications in international law (Part II)
As social media and gaming platforms create new interfaces between tech-savvy children and armed actors, new questions should be asked regarding how the law prohibiting child recruitment and use in hostilities can be promoted and enforced online.
In this two-part post, ICRC Advisers Vanessa Murphy, Siobhan Sparkes McNamara, and Tilman Rodenhäuser consider how the digital environment is transforming more traditional forms of child recruitment, give a rough typology of related trends in the information and communications (ICT) environment, identify the relevant international law, and propose recommendations to improve compliance with these laws in the digital age.
1 Oct 2026
Influencer, gamer, soldier, spy: the online era of child recruitment and its implications in international law (Part I)
As social media and gaming platforms create new interfaces between tech-savvy children and armed actors, new questions should be asked regarding how the law prohibiting child recruitment and use in hostilities can be promoted and enforced online.
In this two-part post, ICRC Advisers Vanessa Murphy, Siobhan Sparkes McNamara, and Tilman Rodenhäuser consider how the digital environment is transforming more traditional forms of child recruitment, give a rough typology of related trends in the information and communications (ICT) environment, identify the relevant international law, and propose recommendations to improve compliance with these laws in the digital age.
24 Sept 2026
Terrorist, war criminal, or both? Towards dual prosecutions of war crimes and terrorist offences
A leading media figure and foreign fighter of a notorious group designated as terrorist was sentenced to life imprisonment for “conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, resulting in death”. Although outwardly appearing to quench the thirst of esteemed Lady Justice, the criminal charge reveals only part of the picture: in addition to having provided material support, the defendant was also filmed personally executing two kneeling soldiers, in other words, a foreseeably serious violation of international humanitarian law (IHL). Whilst these factual elements are mentioned with regard to the aggravated circumstances of the conduct and resulting consequences for sentencing considerations, the defendant was only charged with one single criminal count – the terrorist offence. Such is characteristic of the issues this post seeks to address, namely, the tensions that arise when such serious violations of IHL are apparently overlooked, and victims’ calls for justice left unanswered.
In this post and as part of the Emerging Voices series, Natasha Floodgate, PhD candidate and teaching assistant at the University of Geneva, analyses current trends surrounding prosecutions of terrorist offences and war crimes before examining why such practice occurs. In a bid to reconcile the latitude afforded by the international counter-terrorism framework with existing state obligations under IHL and international criminal law (ICL), the author calls for a dualistic approach in order to achieve comprehensive prosecutorial outcomes.
Who has been a guest on ICRC Humanitarian Law and Policy Blog
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Tilman Rodenhäuser
Cléa Thouin
Stephanie Xu
Dr Ahmed Al Dawoody
Ayan Abdirashid Ali
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Apple Podcasts (US)
4.3 / 5
3 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
17 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 44 / 100
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Quality
51
Social presence
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YouTube
0
Engagement
90
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