Statements

Statement Calling for the Release of Marwan Barghouti from Israeli Prison

October 27, 2025

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention and Human Security is appealing to the Trump Administration and the Government of Israel for the urgent release of Marwan al-Barghouti from Israeli prison. Despite broad international recognition of his role as a legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, the Israeli government has thus far rejected calls for his release, calling him “a symbol of terrorism.” Barghouti is one of the few figures in Palestine who has the public trust necessary to represent Palestinians in the long and hard political process that will be necessary to bring lasting security to both Israelis and Palestinians in the region. Any real effort towards peace will require Barghouti’s immediate release.

Expanding the Dragnet: Trump’s Threatened Crackdown on “Antifa,” the Dangerous Mandate of NSPM-7, and the Impending Militarization of Government in the U.S.

October 23, 2025

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention and Human Security condemns the Trump Administration’s recent executive order designating “antifa” a domestic terror organization as well as its dangerously broad and sweeping national security presidential memorandum, Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence, known as the NSPM-7. The Lemkin Institute is particularly alarmed by these presidential actions given the Administration’s rhetoric at the recent emergency meeting of generals at Quantico and the ramping up of plans to deploy the National Guard to U.S. cities like Chicago, Portland, and Memphis, in addition to Washington, DC, where they are already stationed as part of the federal "D.C. Safe and Beautiful” mission. The Trump Administration’s sweeping yet ill-defined conception of “antifa” lends itself to constant reinvention and radicalization and will provide a mechanism for the Administration to criminalize any category of “out group” that may emerge within MAGA ideology. The looming implementation of this crackdown on “antifa,” especially combined with the threat to use the military against civilians, serves as a red flag for the genocidal process underway in the U.S. and further jeopardizes fundamental human rights and democracy.

Statement on the Transphobic UN Report on Violence Against Women and Girls

October 17, 2025

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention and Human Security is appalled by the advanced edited report from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls (VAWG) entitled “Sex-based violence against women and girls: new frontiers and emerging issues,” released on June 16, 2025.

In addition to situating itself within the quickly spreading global wave of transphobic and interphobic genocidal language, the Report is blatantly ignorant of basic biological concepts and purposely misleads the reader.

We at the Lemkin Institute join the voices of numerous other organizations standing in opposition to this report and its proposed erasure of gender diverse individuals. We call on the UN Special Rapporteur to base her conclusions on facts and to cease aligning herself with governments imposing a strict gender binary.

Statement on the Ceasefire in Gaza

October 14, 2025

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention & Human Security welcomes the announcement of a ceasefire in Gaza and the return of hostages & prisoners on both sides. The most essential thing in the immediate term is saving the lives of Palestinians who are facing ongoing genocide and returning all hostages and other illegally detained persons being held on both sides, including Palestinians who have not yet been released. Any ceasefire is to be embraced -- and it must be enforced, so that needed humanitarian aid can reach the Palestinian people. We acknowledge the important role played by US President Trump in realizing this difficult agreement on the first phase of a proposed 20-point peace plan. He now has the significant responsibility of ensuring that Israel does not violate the ceasefire, as it has previous ones, and that it allows in "full aid," including medical aid, via the United Nations, the Red Crescent, and other organizations, as the peace plan requires. As the Lemkin Institute warned in a previous statement, ceasefires and peace deals must not devolve into deals brokered by genocidaires to benefit themselves or their fellow genocidaires’ colonial projects at the expense of victim populations.

The Lemkin Institute reminds the world that this ceasefire does not mean the end to the genocide. The military attack on Gaza was but one pattern of genocide – the mass murder pattern – being pursued by Israel against Palestinians. Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, its expansive settlements, and its cruel and unjust detention and prison system are all part of an overall genocidal process. For there to be a sustainable peace, these issues must be addressed. Furthermore, the Lemkin Institute maintains that for an enduring peace to emerge from genocide, there must be justice for the victims. Without a justice mechanism in this case as in others, it will be difficult to ensure that necessary changes are made in the perpetrating government and society to guarantee safety to the victim population. If such changes are not made, survivors cannot – and should not – trust that the perpetrators will not continue their genocide through other means, such as the forced displacement process that is in full swing in the West Bank, for example. The reality is that both the Israeli government and Israeli society are currently deeply imbued with genocidal ideology towards Palestinians. This cannot be allowed to continue if there is to be any hope for peace.

We Need Your Help: The Lemkin Institute is under Attack

October 14, 2025

On 17 September, Fox News published a defamatory op-ed claiming that the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention & Human Security is misappropriating the Lemkin family name to spread “antisemitism masquerading as human rights.” It further claims that we “defended or excused terrorist organizations.”

We need your help. We intend to keep our voice strong against false claims and any litigation. One of our great strengths – that we are an unfunded organization with full independence – is a weakness if we are faced with endless legal challenges from genocide deniers. We are currently launching a fundraising campaign to strengthen our organization against the many threats – legal and political – that we are facing in the USA.

This is not just about us. This is about defending a space for genocide prevention, for truth-telling, and for accountability in a world that is increasingly hostile to all three. If you believe in the work that we do, in the values that we defend, in the memory of Raphael Lemkin and the struggle he began, please stand with us now. Donate. Share. Speak out.

Statement on the Visit of Itamar Ben-Gvir to Marwan Barghouti in Israeli Prison

October 8, 2025

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention and Human Security is outraged by the grotesque and cruel visit of Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to Marwan Barghouti in the Ganot prison in central Israel.
Ben-Gvir apparently made and videotaped this visit with the sole purpose of taunting Barghouti, and, through him, all Palestinians across the world.
The fact that Ben-Gvir decided to make the visit, and that the Israeli state decided to film and share it, is indicative of the extent to which the Israeli state and society have embraced genocide as a normal mode of conduct in their relations with Palestinians. The video is clearly aimed to simultaneously humiliate and demoralize — destroy the spirit of — Palestinians, on the one hand, and to be celebrated by ordinary people in the perpetrator society, on the other. Genocide’s zero sum logic and intimate relational dynamic is on full display.

Silence is Not an Option: The Deportation of Mahmoud Khalil and the Future of Genocide Prevention in the U.S.

September 26, 2025

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention and Human Security is alarmed by the recent decision from an immigration judge in Louisiana who ordered the deportation of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil to Algeria or Syria despite a separate order from a federal district judge prohibiting the U.S. government from deporting or detaining Khalil while his case is adjudicated. Khalil, a Columbia University grad student and green card holder married to a U.S. citizen, was unlawfully arrested and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in March 2025 for his leadership role in Columbia University’s student protest movement calling for a ceasefire and an end to Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza. He was one of the first targeted by the Trump Administration’s pledge to detain and deport student activists for their alleged “antisemitism” and “sympathizing with Hamas” in Trump’s January 29 executive order, Additional Measures to Combat Antisemitism. Khalil’s case not only demonstrates the intersection between Trump’s crackdown on immigrants and those critical of the U.S. and its allies, namely Israel, but also is yet another nail in the coffin for the future of fundamental human rights and genocide prevention in the U.S.

The future of grassroots and institutional genocide prevention efforts in the U.S. is under attack and inextricably linked to the Trump Administration’s contempt for fundamental human rights. U.S. society cannot stand by as activists like Mahmoud Khalil’s human rights are threatened for calling for an end to Israel’s genocide in Gaza. If the Trump Administration succeeds in removing Khalil, it will set a dangerous precedent not only for free speech but also for anti-genocide advocacy. The U.S.’s role as an Axis of Genocide at home and abroad must be stopped.

No More Excuses: The Lemkin Institute Welcomes the UN Commission of Inquiry’s Report Declaring Genocide in Gaza

September 19, 2025

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention and Human Security welcomes the publication of the 72-page report (A/HRC/60/CRP.3) by the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel (COI), published on 16 September 2025, which concludes that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. With the publication of this report, all states are now required by the Genocide Convention to do everything in their power to stop Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. There are no more excuses for inaction.

Importantly, the report finds extensive evidence of the Israeli government’s ‘specific intent’ (Dolus Specialis) for genocide required by conventional legal interpretations of the Genocide Convention. Navi Pillay, head of the COI, told journalists: “The commission concludes that statements made by Israeli authorities are direct evidence of genocidal intent … genocidal intent was the only reasonable inference that can be drawn from the totality of the evidence”.

It is now up to the nations of the world to take action to stop this genocide, as required by international law. We urge that this report be followed by concrete steps, which have been strikingly absent up to this moment. Israel’s allies must place pressure on Israel to immediately cease its attacks on Gaza and end the blockade. If they do not, or if Israel refuses, we call on the UN General Assembly to use the Uniting for Peace resolution to call for an armed humanitarian intervention into Gaza to restore peace and security and ensure the delivery of much needed humanitarian aid.

Statement on Recent Remarks by ICJ Vice-President Judge Sebutinde

September 12, 2025

“The Lord is counting on me to stand on the side of Israel.” - Julia Sebutinde

On 10 August 2025, the vice-president of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Judge Julia Sebutinde of Uganda, declared before a Ugandan congregation: “The Lord is counting on me to stand on the side of Israel.” She went further, describing the Genocide in Gaza as a sign of the biblical “end times” and presenting her judicial role as divinely ordained.

These words are extraordinary in and of themselves. But they become quite grave when set against her judicial record: Sebutinde was the lone permanent judge to dissent in the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) January 2024 order finding it "plausible” that Israel’s acts in Gaza could fall within the scope of the Genocide Convention. Her opposition was joined only by Israel’s ad hoc judge, Aharon Barak. She once again broke from the majority, dissenting from the Court’s advisory opinion that declared Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory unlawful—this time alongside a small minority of judges. In both landmark cases, Sebutinde’s votes placed her squarely against the overwhelming weight of international law and the Court’s considered judgment. While the Lemkin Institute firmly believes in the value of dissent in legal matters, we also believe that at international courts, dissent must be grounded in the law rather than in religious beliefs.

Julia Sebutinde may believe she is “on the right side of history,” a divinely appointed defender of Israel in the last days. Yet history will likely record her otherwise—not as a decisive figure, but as a cautionary example of how international justice falters when personal ideology and prophetic belief displace legal principle. While her individual influence may be limited, the worldview she represents is deeply troubling, as it risks undermining the credibility of international courts and legitimizing impunity.
Her case highlights three urgent facts. First, that the ICJ’s legitimacy is fragile and depends on judges resisting the temptation to import ideology and theology into their rulings. Second, that international law remains shaped by religious and cultural double standards that tolerate Christian Zionist framings while demonizing Muslim ones. And third, that educated elites—judges among them—can be the most effective agents of authoritarianism when they dress prejudice in the garments of law.

Statement in Solidarity with the Global Sumud Flotilla

September 6, 2025

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention & Human Security stands in firm solidarity with all of the brave people aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, the international fleet of more than 50 boats that is headed toward Gaza to break the Israeli siege and deliver urgent humanitarian aid.

Their courage is an act of conscience and civil resistance against injustice, carried out in the face of global institutional indifference and inaction. To the volunteers of the Flotilla: You carry the conscience of the world. Your determination exposes the cowardice of governments.

We call on all governments to ensure the safe passage of the Flotilla and to protect their citizens aboard this humanitarian mission from arbitrary detention. Above all, we urge all governments to protect Palestinian lives in Gaza, in the West Bank, and in East Jerusalem, in accordance with their obligations under the Genocide Convention.

Statement on the UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission: Violation of the Paris Principles and erosion of protections for transgender and intersex people

September 5, 2025

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention & Human Security calls on the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) to withdraw accreditation from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in Great Britain due to violations of the Paris Principles and the erosion of protections for transgender and intersex people. The EHRC is Britain’s independent equality and human rights regulator. It currently has an “A status” accreditation as a National Human Rights Institution (NHRI), bestowed by GANHRI, which is co-funded by the United Nations and European Union. To maintain accreditation as an NHRI, an organisation needs to follow the Paris Principles. The Lemkin Institute believes that the EHRC has violated the Paris Principles, particularly in actions targeting the rights and protections for transgender and intersex people. The most recent example of such actions is the appointment of Dr. Mary-Ann Stephenson as the new EHRC Chair, contrary to the advice of the two committees involved in the appointment: the Women and Equalities and Joint Human Rights Committees.

Statement on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Joint Declaration: This is No “Peace Deal”

August 29, 2025


The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention and Human Security expresses mounting frustration and continuing concern about the threat of genocide against Armenians in the South Caucasus region in the wake of what is being uncritically heralded worldwide as a “peace deal” between Armenia and Azerbaijan. While we welcome any diplomatic steps that may reduce the risk of renewed armed conflict in the region, those steps must be real and have the prospect of leading to a just and sustainable peace. The current media and diplomatic reception of the joint declaration brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump is a premature celebration of peace while Azerbaijan's recent mass atrocity crimes and consistent belligerence remain unaddressed. In fact, the deal being announced could easily lead to more war and destruction and could lay the groundwork for further genocidal actions by Azerbaijan towards Armenians. Concrete mechanisms to protect Armenian sovereignty must be incorporated into the text of the agreement and manifested in the material world before this peace agreement can in fact guarantee peace.