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Factsheet: Universal Jurisdiction  Print Friendly and PDF  The
principle of universal jurisdiction allows the national
authorities of any state to investigate and prosecute people for
serious international crimes even if they were committed in
another country. For example, this means that the German
government could, if it chose to do so, prosecute U.S. officials
for crimes committed in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Universal
jurisdiction is based on the notion that some crimes – such as
genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and torture – are
of such exceptional gravity that they affect the fundamental
interests of the international community as a whole.
Accordingly, there is no condition that the suspect or victim be
a citizen of the state exercising universal jurisdiction or that
the crime directly harmed the state’s own national interests.
The only condition for exercising universal jurisdiction is
therefore not – as in traditional doctrine