Analytical Model of the Interaction Between Criminology and International Criminal Law in Documenting Humanitarian Law Violations in Contemporary Conflicts
Keywords:
Behavioral analysis of perpetrators, Criminal accountability in armed conflicts, Digital evidence, Standards for documentation of violations, Interdisciplinary cooperation in criminal justiceAbstract
Contemporary armed conflicts, particularly in light of the expansion of hybrid warfare and the utilization of emerging technologies, have become associated with more complex patterns of perpetrating and concealing violations of international humanitarian law. Under such conditions, reliance solely on traditional mechanisms of international criminal law for the identification, documentation, and prosecution of these violations faces serious challenges. Accordingly, the use of interdisciplinary capacities, especially the interaction between criminology and international criminal law, may play an effective role in strengthening the process of truth discovery and the realization of criminal accountability. The present study, employing a descriptive–analytical method and an interdisciplinary approach, examines the capacities of this interaction in documenting humanitarian law violations in contemporary conflicts. Research data were collected through the analysis of library sources, reports of international institutions, and existing documentation samples. The findings indicate that the linkage between criminology and international criminal law can contribute to the formation of an analytical model at three levels: first, the identification of behavioral and structural patterns of perpetrating violations through criminological analyses; second, the assessment of the credibility, coherence, and chain of evidence using technical and psychological criteria; and third, the translation of empirical data into the material and mental elements of international crimes within the framework of international criminal proceedings. Accordingly, systematic interaction between the two fields can provide the foundation for designing more efficient standards for documenting violations and strengthening the possibility of criminal prosecution and accountability in contemporary armed conflicts.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Najmiyehsadat Fazeli Chaharmahali; Amir Shayan Hashemian, Zeynab Baniasadi (Author)
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