The Yemen Accountability Project (YAP) is proud to announce the publication of its seventh white paper, "Piracy and the Yemen Civil War." Piracy is a crime of such gravity that it has been recognized as jus cogens—a peremptory norm of customary international law subject to universal jurisdiction, with states holding both the right and the obligation to prosecute pirates wherever they are found. Despite this universal prohibition, YAP has documented instances of piracy and associated violations of international humanitarian and human rights law committed by parties to the Yemen Civil War, including hostage taking, torture, arbitrary detention, and the potential use of child pirates. YAP's most recent white paper documents these violations and recommends mechanisms through which perpetrators may be held accountable and victims may seek justice.
YAP is a student-led initiative at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, founded in 2018 as a cooperative effort between legal scholars, non-governmental organizations, students, and other interested parties. It is funded by a generous annual grant from Timothy Geisse. Under the guidance of its faculty advisor, Professor Jim Johnson, the project's members investigate and analyze open-source materials covering the Yemeni Civil War with a goal to provide the foundation for eventual prosecution of war crimes and crimes against humanity before domestic or international courts.
Starting in the fall of 2026, YAP will expand to cover atrocity crimes in Iran, Afghanistan and Syria, as well as continue its work related to Yemen.
