Doctoral Researcher, Department of Political and Economic Studies, University of Helsinki, Finland.
Disasters. 2023 Oct;47(4):870-890. doi: 10.1111/disa.12580. Epub 2023 May 1.
Violence against humanitarians is a commonplace phenomenon in contemporary armed conflict. This paper examines how the manipulation of international legal principles for political or military purposes, a practice known as 'lawfare', impacts humanitarian security in conflict-affected areas. Drawing on a case study of the Syrian conflict (2011-), it finds that lawfare has been used to legitimate systematic civilian targeting by pro-government forces and to delegitimise the delivery of aid to opposition-held areas of the country. Efforts to use legal measures to promote civilian welfare-by way of sanctions or demands for cross-border humanitarian access-have been taken as evidence of Western attempts to politicise humanitarian considerations and international law. In practice, this has meant increased security risks for aid workers and impunity for those implicated in the violence. The paper concludes by calling for more critical research on lawfare and politicisation of international law as part and parcel of civilian protection in conflict-affected areas.
针对人道主义者的暴力是当代武装冲突中的一种常见现象。本文探讨了国际法原则被政治或军事目的操纵（即所谓的“法律战”）如何影响冲突地区的人道主义安全。本文通过对叙利亚冲突（2011 年至今）的案例研究发现，法律战被用来为亲政府部队有系统地针对平民行为进行合法化，并为反对派控制地区的援助行动进行污名化。试图通过制裁或要求跨境人道主义准入等法律手段来促进平民福利，被视为西方试图将人道主义考虑和国际法政治化的证据。实际上，这意味着援助工作者面临更大的安全风险，而那些涉及暴力行为的人则免受惩罚。本文最后呼吁对法律战和国际法政治化进行更多批判性研究，将其作为冲突地区平民保护的一部分。
