Tilman Rodenhäuser

About/Bio

Dr. Tilman Rodenhäuser is a legal adviser at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The views expressed on this blog are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of the ICRC. Prior to joining the ICRC in 2016, Tilman has worked with the German Red Cross, the think-tank DCAF, the NGO Geneva Call, and the United Nations, with missions in Africa and the Middle East. Tilman holds a PhD from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva and recently published the monograph Organizing Rebellion: Non-state armed groups under international humanitarian law, human rights law, and international criminal law(OUP, 2018). He has also published various articles in renowned international journals and received different awards for his work.

Recently Published

‘Hybrid threats, ‘grey zones’, ‘competition’, and ‘proxies’: When is it actually war?

In the last few months, suspicious fires in warehouses and aboard aircraft, the severing of undersea power and Internet cables, GPS jamming, cyber operations against critical civilian infrastructure, and allegations of influence operations and election interference have been depicted as ‘hybrid warfare’ by both politicians and the media. So-called ‘hybrid threats’ or ‘hybrid attacks’, as well as allegations…

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Does international law prohibit ‘constructive refoulement’?

Earlier this month, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) stated that 43.4 million people worldwide are refugees – many of whom flee the over 120 ongoing armed conflicts. While voluntary repatriations are the preferred durable solution for the largest number of refugees who dream of going home – in safety and dignity – one day,…

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8 rules for “civilian hackers” during war, and 4 obligations for states to restrain them

As digital technology is changing how militaries conduct war, a worrying trend has emerged in which a growing number of civilians become involved in armed conflicts through digital means. Sitting at some distance from physical hostilities, including outside the countries at war, civilians – including hacktivists, to cyber security professionals, ‘white hat’, ‘black hat’ and ‘patriotic’ hackers…

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