ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tom Dannenbaum

Tom Dannenbaum is Assistant Professor of International Law at the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy and the author of The Crime of Aggression, Humanity, and the Soldier (Cambridge University Press, 2018).

POSTS BY Tom Dannenbaum

27 September 2022

Tom Dannenbaum

Mobilized to Commit War Crimes?

In that earlier post, I argued that states have a legal obligation to recognize the refugee status of Russian troops who flee to avoid participating in what is a war of aggression. That argument applies equally to this new scenario. Those who refuse to fight and who leave Russia to avoid doing so should be recognized as refugees. However, there is now an additional way to ground that claim. Continue reading >>

02 March 2022

Tom Dannenbaum

The Legal Obligation to Recognize Russian Deserters as Refugees

The European Union (EU) and its member states are reportedly considering offering asylum to Russian deserters. They and other states around the world have a legal obligation to do precisely that. Soldiers who flee punishment for refusing to fight in aggressive wars are properly understood as refugees under international law. Continue reading >>