David Crane to discuss Ukraine War Crimes Tribunal on Oct. 17, says 'Putin hears my footsteps'

The Center for Law, Justice and Culture will host Ohio University alumnus David M. Crane, who will discuss formation of a "Ukraine War Crimes Tribunal" in a public lecture at 7 p.m. on Oct. 17, in Walter Hall 145.

One of the most recognized international criminal lawyers in the world, Crane is leading a team working on setting up a Special Tribunal for Ukraine on the Crimes of Aggression against Vladimir Putin.

"Vladimir Putin’s naked aggression against Ukraine harkens back to the late 1930s when Hitler began to nibble away at countries in Central Europe. Appeasement failed to stop him, and it will not be successful with Putin. Putin must be held accountable for his aggression," Crane said.

"Strongmen, dictators and tyrants around the world are watching what democracies do about Putin’s aggression like crocodiles. If we do nothing, the geopolitical future of the world with be a dark one indeed, and these tyrants will gobble up weaker neighboring states. Beware!" he added.

Crane is leading the tribunal effort with other practitioners, diplomats and scholars to hold Putin accountable.

"We have the legal and practical cornerstones in place to execute the plan. The international community has to make the political decisions to do so," he said.

"Putin hears my footsteps, he knows my capacity to take down heads of state for international crimes, as I did in prosecuting President Charles Taylor of Liberia for war crimes and crimes against humanity," Crane said. "In September of 2022 Putin declared me an enemy of the state and banned me from ever traveling to the Russian Federation."

Having served as the founding Chief Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, Crane earned a bachelor’s degree in history in 1972 and a master’s in African studies in 1973 from Ohio University. He was presented an Honorary Doctorate of Letters Degree at the OHIO's Graduate Commencement in 2017. He earned a Juris Doctor from Syracuse University in 1980.

Crane is also a Distinguished Scholar in Residence at the Syracuse University College of Law and founder of the Global Accountability Network. He is the author of Every Living Thing-Facing Down Terrorists, Warlords, and Thugs in West Africa-A Story of Justice (Carolina Academic Press, 2020).

This event also is sponsored by the Contemporary History Institute.