The International Enforcement Law Reporter

The International Enforcement Law Reporter is a monthly print and online journal covering news and trends in international enforcement law.

Since September 1985, the International Enforcement Law Reporter has analyzed the premier developments in both the substantive and procedural aspects of international enforcement law. Read by practitioners, academics, and politicians, the IELR is a valuable guide to the difficult and dynamic field of international law.

U.S. Mercenaries Face Lawsuit for War Crimes in Yemen

Friday, April 3, 2026
Author: 
Gavin Neff
Volume: 
42
Issue: 
4
Abstract: 

Anssaf Ali Mayo, a Yemeni citizen, parliamentarian, and prominent member of the al-Islah party, brought a lawsuit against Hungarian-Israeli Abraham Golan and Americans Isaac Gilmore and Dale Comstock, all former executives or employees of Spear Operations Group, a private military company incorporated in Delaware.

A 93-Year-Old Former Belgian Diplomat Faces Trial for Crimes Committed in the Congo and the Effectiveness of International Law Enforcement for Colonial Era Crimes

Friday, April 3, 2026
Author: 
Dimitris Konstantopoulos
Volume: 
42
Issue: 
4
Abstract: 

In March 2026, a Brussels court ordered a former Belgian diplomat, Étienne Davignon, to face trial for war crimes for his role in the 1961 assassination of Patrice Lumumba, an anticolonial and socialist activist and the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Syrian Prison Boss Convicted of Torture and Immigration Fraud

Friday, April 3, 2026
Author: 
Austin Wahl
Volume: 
42
Issue: 
4
Abstract: 

On March 16, 2026, a federal jury convicted former Syrian prison official Samir Ousman Alsheikh, 73, of one count of conspiracy to commit torture and three counts of torture for his role in the persecution of inmates at Adra Prison in Damascus, Syria. Alsheikh was also convicted of lying to U.S. immigration officials about his past in order to secure a green card in the hopes of eventually becoming a naturalized citizen.

U.S. Justice Department Reaches Resolution on Corruption Case with French Company

Friday, April 3, 2026
Author: 
Bruce Zagaris
Volume: 
42
Issue: 
4
Abstract: 

On March 19, 2026, the United States (U.S.) Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a resolution of a transnational corruption investigation into Balt SAS (Balt), a medical device company headquartered in France, concerning an alleged scheme to pay bribes to a physician official who acted in a senior position of a state-owned public hospital in France, in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).

Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files Acknowledges and Addresses Delays

Friday, March 27, 2026
Author: 
Dr. Ted R. Bromund, Sandra Grossman Esq., and Charlie Magri Esq.
Volume: 
42
Issue: 
4
Abstract: 

Over the past months, the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files (CCF), INTERPOL’s appellate body, has published its Annual Activity Report for 2024 and announced changes in its procedures that will affect how attorneys make submissions to the CCF.

INTERPOL Operation Synergia III: Public–Private Partnership, Intelligence-to-Action, and the Limits of Global Law Enforcement

Friday, March 27, 2026
Author: 
Aniska Manojkumar
Volume: 
42
Issue: 
4
Abstract: 

INTERPOL declared Operation Synergia III complete on March 13, 2026. The operation, which ran from July 18, 2025, until January 31, 2026, across seventy-two countries, resulted in the removal of 45,000 harmful IP addresses and servers, the detention of ninety-four suspects, and the confiscation of 212 electronic gadgets. The operation aimed to combat specific threats, which included phishing, ransomware, malware distribution, romance scams, and credit card fraud. The operation represents the most recent effort in a continuous series of cyber disruption operations aiming to enhance organizational understanding and strengthen global collaboration.

UAE and Kuwait Dismantle Terrorist Network Linked to Hezbollah and Iran as European Authorities Investigate Iran’s Suspected Involvement in Attacks on Jewish Sites

Friday, March 27, 2026
Author: 
Bruce Zagaris
Volume: 
42
Issue: 
4
Abstract: 

Since February 28, 2026, the war between Israel and the United States (U.S.), on the one hand, and Iran, on the other, has sparked counter-terrorism enforcement initiatives in the Middle East and Europe. In particular, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwaiti law enforcement dismantled a terrorist network allegedly funded by Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Iran, while European enforcement authorities are investigating Iran’s suspected involvement in terrorist attacks on Jewish sites across Western Europe.

Amidst Hungary-Ukraine Dispute, Hungarian Prime Minister Continues Block on EU Sanctions and Aid Package

Friday, March 27, 2026
Author: 
Chloe Fontenelle
Volume: 
42
Issue: 
4
Abstract: 

At a European Union (EU) summit on March 19, 2026, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán continued to veto both an EU financial aid package for Ukraine and a sanctions package targeting Russia, much to the chagrin of the bloc’s leadership. Just shy of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Prime Minister Orbán announced that EU member state Hungary would oppose both a European Union (EU) financial aid package to Ukraine and the sanctions package intended for Russia. Slovakia soon followed suit.

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