About the author(s):
Yiokasti Mouratidi is a Doctoral Candidate in the Department of International and Operational Law at the Swedish Defence University, jointly with the Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance at Utrecht University. Her PhD focuses on compliance with the law of armed conflict, particularly through the lens of technological developments. Previously, Yiokasti obtained her LLM in Public International Law from Utrecht University (2022) and her LLB in Law with European Law from the University of Nottingham (2019). Yiokasti has a strong interest in international humanitarian law and international security law.
We are very pleased to present the legal roundup for October 2025 – February 2026, containing publications on issues relating to armed groups and international law, non-international armed conflict, rebel governance, transitional justice and international criminal law. It was prepared by Yiokasti Mouratidi, and finalised with input from Katharine Fortin, Ezequiel Heffes, Florian Weigand, Anki Sjöberg, Andrea Farrés, Saeed Bagheri, Jelena Aparac and Sama Germanier.
If you have a 2025-2026 publication which you think should be included in this roundup, please do not hesitate to contact the editors of the blog.
Please note that due to paywalls and your institution’s permissions, the given link may not always take you to the text of the article. The Armed Groups and International law blog has published legal roundups since 2012. For previous versions of the legal roundup, see here.
Non-State Armed Groups, Non-International Armed Conflicts and International Law
Ashour, O. ‘How Hamas Fights: Hybrid Defence and Combat Effectiveness in Gaza’ 2025 Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 1.
Grote T. ‘Data and the dead: How does IHL regulate data related to the identification of deceased persons?’ 2025 International Review of the Red Cross 107(929) 509.
Cismas, I., Fortin, K., Sutton, R., Heffes, E., Shesterinina, A. ‘The Beyond Compliance Approach: Centering Harm + Need Towards Full(er) Protection in Armed Conflict’ 2026 Columbia Journal of Transnational Law 64.
Heffes, E. ‘Los Grupos armados frente el derecho international’ 2025 Tirant Lo Blanch.
Hoffberger-Pippan, E. ‘Obligations for Third States in the War between Israel and Hamas: To Deliver or Not to Deliver’ 2025 Austrian Review of International and European Law Online 28(1) 119.
Jean, Y. ‘Visible politics and invisible tactics: the use of uniforms in asymmetric conflicts’ 2026 Small Wars & Insurgencies, 1.
Lacher, W. ‘Armed Group Consolidation: Charting a Field of Inquiry’ 2026 Civil Wars, 1.
de Mello Filho, E. C. ‘Operations for the protection of foreign-flagged vessels at sea against Houthi attacks: a case of collective self-defence?’ 2025 Journal on the Use of Force and International Law 12(1–2) 201.
Milanovic, M. ‘The Notion of an Illegal Occupation in the ICJ’s Palestine Advisory Opinion’ 2025 International and Comparative Law Quarterly 74(3) 517
Ndiaye, D. A. ‘Which legal framework for wars of national liberation? Addressing the thorny question of qualification under international humanitarian law through the cases of Palestine and Western Sahara’ 2025 Journal on the Use of Force and International Law 12(1–2) 81.
Obregón Gieseken H, Londoño X. ‘Dignity in death: International humanitarian law and the protection of the deceased in war’ 2025 International Review of the Red Cross 107(929) 662.
Parrin A, Tidball-Binz M, Garda JL, Gelman AM, Kazmin KC, Schmitt A. ‘The protection of dead persons under international human rights law: Evaluating gaps and developing a principles framework’ 2025 International Review of the Red Cross 107(929) 720.
Santini V. ‘Visual representation of armed conflict-related deaths and the evolving standards of protecting the dignity of the deceased’ 2025 International Review of the Red Cross 107(929) 747.
Sferrazza Taibi P, Carrasco Núñez M. ‘The search for missing persons: Comparative analysis of the incorporation of international standards into national search plans implemented in Latin American countries’ 2025 International Review of the Red Cross 107(929) 791.
Sobelman, D. ‘The Strategic Origins of Hamas’s October 7 Attack’ 2026 Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 1.
Sheikh, M.K., Mathiasen, J.W., Andersen, L.E., Krause, D., & Wæver, O. ‘How the Taliban Regained Power in Afghanistan’ (Routledge 2026).
Stern, M. ‘Foreign Fighters and Rebel Fragmentation’ 2025 Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 1.
Rebel governance and civilian agency
Al-Fahdawi, T. H., Shukur, O. H., Kalaf, M. I., & Bardan, F. M. ‘Peace and extremism in Anbar: the struggle for stability after ISIS and the roots of recurring radicalism (2003–2025)’ 2026 Small Wars & Insurgencies, 1.
Zhao, W. ‘The Impact of Natural Disasters on the Ongoing Civil War: The Role of Spatial Configuration of Territorial Control’ 2026 Journal of Conflict Resolution 70(2-3) 440.
Brancati, D. ‘The Long Shadow of COVID-19 Lockdowns on Nonstate Actor Violence’ 2026 Journal of Conflict Resolution 70(2-3) 470.
Kim, K. ‘Rebel responses to disasters in conflict zones: a case study of Cyclone Mocha in Myanmar’ 2026 Disasters 50(1).
Melcón, L. ‘Covering the Expenses of Rebel Administration: Are Rebels Taxing or Pillaging Towns?’ 2025 Neth Int Law Rev 72, 247.
Mohamad Ghazi, J. ‘The intersection of counter-terrorism law and government recognition in post-conflict transitions’ 2025 Cambridge International Law Journal 14(2) 316.
Motamedi, Z. ‘Religious and Tribal Sovereignty in Afghanistan: The Taliban’s Governance, Its Impact on Women’s and Minorities’ Rights, and Global Implications’ 2026 Human Rights Quarterly 48(1) 40.
Evouna Evouna, A. ‘Special agreements in non-international armed conflicts: Lessons from the practice’ 2025 International Review of the Red Cross 107(930)
Furlan, M. ‘Inside Salafi-Jihadist Governance: The Strategies and Characteristics of Islamist Insurgent Rule’ (Columbia University Press 2025)
Lombardi, M., Lakomy, M., Bolpagni, A., & Lucini, S. ‘Under the Radar: Exploring the Salafi-Jihadi Terrorist Information Ecosystem on TikTok’ 2026 Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 1.
Lonergan, K. ‘Reconciling Rebel Rule: Wartime Order and the Social Legacies of Rebel Governance in Sri Lanka’ 2026 Civil Wars.
Ortega Poveda, P. A. ‘Rebel Reputation and Violent Resistance in Civil Wars’ 2026 Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 1.
Paradela López, M., & Bar-On, T. ‘The Villalba Clan: understanding the two-ringed familial leadership of the Paraguayan People’s Army’ 2025 Small Wars & Insurgencies, 1.
Tosi Rodriguez, L., & Caneppele, S. ‘Exploring How Armed Groups Organize the Exploitation of Natural Resources’ 2025 Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 1.
ICL
Badar, M. E. ‘Laying the Groundwork for Prosecuting ISIS for Core International Crimes before an Iraqi Criminal Tribunal 2.0’ 2025 International Criminal Law Review 25(6) 939.
Ciftcisoy A-M. ‘Protecting the dead against sexual violence from the perspectives of international criminal law and international humanitarian law’ 2025 International Review of the Red Cross 107(929) 468.
Gureghian Hall M. ‘The war crime of outrages against the personal dignity of the dead: Legal basis, evolution, and elements’ 2025 International Review of the Red Cross 107(929) 529.
Liulina, A. ‘Evidentiary Digital Platforms: What the Al Mahdi and Al Hassan Cases Teach Us about Presenting Voluminous Digital Data’ 2025 International Criminal Law Review 25(5) 840.
Wells, W. ‘Military information as evidence of the Islamic state in Iraq and the Levant’s crimes’ 2026 The Military law and the Law of War Review 63(2) 196.
Yadegarian, F., & Razavi, M. ‘The evolution of the international criminal court’s judicial policy on issuing arrest warrants: from Uganda to Palestine’ 2025 Journal on the Use of Force and International Law 12(1–2) 255.
Targeting, detention and administration of justice
Citroni G. ‘Practical, legal and psychological issues related to the protection of the dead in cases of enforced disappearance‘ 2025 International Review of the Red Cross 107(929) 486.
Clapham, A. ‘Liability for killing in war and why there is no ‘licence to kill’.’ 2025 Netherlands Quarterly of Human Rights 43(3) 139.
Vala, T. ‘The impact of Islamic State affiliation on civilian-targeting strategies in Sub-Saharan Africa: comparative insights from ISCAP-Mozambique and ISWAP’ 2026 Small Wars & Insurgencies .
Firester, D. E. ‘A Target-Centric Approach to Distinguishing Between Terrorism and Guerrilla Warfare’ 2026 Studies in Conflict & Terrorism.
Lemaitre Ripoll, J. ‘When is detention by non-State actors a war crime? The Special Jurisdiction for Peace’s decision on hostage-taking by the FARC-EP‘ 2025 International Review of the Red Cross 107(930).
Rueda Guzmán, L., Rojas-Orozco, C. ‘Child recruitment and beyond: Prosecuting the broad spectrum of violence committed against recruited children within the former FARC-EP ranks’ 2025 International Review of the Red Cross 107(930).
Transitional justice, peacekeeping and peacebuilding
Demeyere B. ‘Protection of the Dead’ 2025 International Review of the Red Cross 107(929) 429.
Giraldo Muñoz, M. ‘Amnesties as a means of encouraging transition and strengthening the application of IHL in Colombia: The case of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace’ 2025 International Review of the Red Cross 107(930)
Jonsson, M., & Pettersson, J. ‘Even Better Than the Real Thing? Measuring the Multidimensional Reintegration of Graduated Ex-Combatants in Colombia’ 2026 Civil Wars 1.
Klinkner M, Donovan E, Nunez D, et al. ‘Mass grave mapping and the protection of the dead’ 2025 International Review of the Red Cross 107(929) 609.
Martinez-Villalba, L. ‘Restoring dignity by granting rights: IHL and peacebuilding empowerment for Magdalena River fishing communities in Colombia’ 2025 International Review of the Red Cross 107(930).
Pham, V., Jiang, L., & Kamijo, Y. ‘When Fairness is Unfair: Norm Abandonment in Bargaining and Its Implications for Peace Negotiations’ 2026 Journal of Conflict Resolution 70(2-3) 261.
Pino Uribe, J. F., Amaya-Panche, J., Méndez Méndez, N., & Casas Casas, A. ‘Religiosity, Political Tolerance, and Willingness to Reconcile in Post-conflict Contexts: Evidence From Colombia’ 2026 Journal of Conflict Resolution 70(2-3) 231-260.
Quiroga-Villamarín, D. R. ‘Colombia’s White Elephant: Memory, Law, and Power in the Struggles over the National Center for Historical Memory (CNMH), 2011–2022’ 2025 Archiv des Völkerrechts 63(2) 153.
Reports
ICRC, ‘Navigating violence: learning from civilian experiences and strengthening humanitarian action in contested territories’, November 2025.
ICRC, ‘Non-state armed groups and the separated, missing and dead: obligations under IHL and examples of how to implement them‘, February 2026.
IPIS, ‘The emergence of the Wazalendo in the fight against the AFC/M23 in North Kivu: Current situation, challenges and prospects’, February 2026.
IPIS, ‘Pastoralism in West Africa: From a vector of conflict to a tool for peace and sustainability?’, November 2025.
Jackson, A., Kilani, S., ‘The Future of Humanitarian Access‘, Centre on Armed Groups, 2025.
Shesterinina, A., Heffes, E., Sjöberg, A. and Karagkouni, K., ‘The What, Who and How of Compliance and Restraint by Non-State Armed Groups: A Snapshot of Behavioural Variation’, Beyond Compliance Paper Series No.1, ISSN 2978-8595, Beyond Compliance Consortium, University of York, October 2025.
Schouten, P. et al, DIIS, ICTD & Centre on Armed Groups, ‘War over checkpoints: nine theses on roadblocks and the politics of circulation in conflict-affected borderlands’, 2026.
Dudouet, V., Hülzer, J-H., Sindre, G., Söderberg Kovacs, M., Cho, J., ‘Negotiating the political integration of armed groups in an era of new conflict patterns and changing peacemaking practices‘, December 2025.
Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict, ‘Children and armed conflict in the Philippines: domestic law and policy‘, January 2026.