The Siracusa International Institute for Criminal Justice and Human Rights
An Italian not-for-profit institute that advances international criminal justice, human rights, rule of law, and justice-sector capacity building.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The Siracusa International Institute for Criminal Justice and Human Rights is a not-for-profit organisation based in Siracusa, Sicily, dedicated to research, education, technical assistance, and professional training in criminal justice and human rights. Established in 1972 under its former Italian and English name, Istituto Superiore Internazionale di Scienze Criminali, or International Institute of Higher Studies in Criminal Sciences, the institute was created through cooperation among criminal-law experts, the Association Internationale de Droit Penal, local Sicilian authorities, and the Syracuse Chamber of Commerce. It adopted its current English identity in 2017. The institute operates at the intersection of academic criminal science and practical justice-sector reform. Its work covers international and European criminal law, international humanitarian law, human rights in the administration of justice, organised crime, extradition, mutual legal assistance, post-conflict justice, fact-finding, anti-money-laundering policy, counter-terrorism financing, and the protection of judicial independence. It has particular experience working with institutions and professionals from Arab and Muslim countries, while also maintaining projects and partnerships across Europe, Central Asia, Africa, and conflict-affected states. Its activities include international conferences, specialist courses for young penalists, programmes for prosecutors and defence lawyers, post-graduate fellowships, expert meetings, comparative research, publications, and technical cooperation. Training has been delivered for judges, prosecutors, police officers, public officials, lawyers, researchers, and academics. Reference material describes more than 40 technical-cooperation and training seminars and participation by several thousand justice professionals. The institute has also published more than 149 books and related scholarly or policy studies arising from its conferences and research projects. The institute has collaborated with the United Nations, the Council of Europe, Europol, the International Monetary Fund, the Basel Institute on Governance, the NATO School, the League of Arab States, the Organization of American States, universities, and national governments. Its work has contributed to discussions and drafting processes concerning the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and its Rules of Procedure and Evidence. It has also supported the development or dissemination of international instruments concerning judicial and legal-profession independence, crime prevention and development, prisoner transfers, transfers of criminal proceedings, extradition, and enforcement of sentences. Country and regional programmes have included justice and counter-narcotics assistance in Afghanistan, rule-of-law and legal-education initiatives in Iraq, human-rights and investigative-capacity projects in Bahrain, and judicial-reform support in Macedonia. Other research has addressed Libya, international and national commissions of inquiry, and post-conflict justice. Through these activities, the institute presents itself less as a consumer-facing brand than as an international specialist institution whose reputation rests on expert convening, professional education, comparative legal research, and implementation support. Jean François Thony has served as president since 2017. The institute holds consultative status with the United Nations as a non-governmental organisation.
History
The Siracusa International Institute was established in 1972 in Sicily as the Istituto Superiore Internazionale di Scienze Criminali, known in English as the International Institute of Higher Studies in Criminal Sciences. Its founding involved criminal-law specialists, including M. Cherif Bassiouni, the Association Internationale de Droit Penal, the City and Province of Syracuse, and the Syracuse Chamber of Commerce. The local and regional institutional base was later strengthened through agreements involving the City of Noto and the Region of Sicily. From its beginning, the institute was designed to connect advanced study of criminal sciences with international cooperation. It developed conferences, research projects, publications, fellowships, and specialist training for legal professionals and academics. Its subject matter expanded beyond conventional criminal-law scholarship to include international criminal law, humanitarian law, human rights, organised crime, extradition, judicial cooperation, judicial independence, post-conflict justice, and the operation of international tribunals. The institute became involved in expert processes associated with the development of international criminal-law instruments, including work related to the Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court and the court's procedural rules. In cooperation with United Nations and Council of Europe bodies, it also contributed to discussions concerning judicial and legal-profession independence, crime prevention, prisoner transfers, transfer of criminal proceedings, extradition, enforcement of sentences, cultural-heritage protection, municipal policing, and international cooperation in criminal matters. A major part of its work has been technical cooperation. The institute has conducted more than 40 training and assistance seminars for judges, prosecutors, police, government officials, lawyers, researchers, and scholars from developing and transitional countries. Programmes have been carried out with the United Nations, Council of Europe, League of Arab States, Organization of American States, Italian ministries, Europol, and other partners. The organisation has worked especially extensively in the Arab world since 1979 and has also undertaken projects in Europe, Central Asia, Africa, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bahrain, Macedonia, and Libya. The Afghanistan programme, active since 2003, addressed justice and counter-narcotics institutions and trained more than 2,700 justice-system personnel according to the cited reference material. In Iraq, the institute supported legal education and justice-sector planning, including 2007 recommendations for an integrated rule-of-law strategy. In Bahrain, it worked on human-rights protection, investigative and prosecutorial capacity, and law-enforcement training. In Macedonia, a 2006 programme supported the public prosecution service and judicial reforms aligned with European Union standards. Research initiatives have included principles and best practices for commissions of inquiry, resulting in the Siracusa Guidelines for international, regional, and national fact-finding bodies. A Libya project documented public information concerning the conflict that began in 2011, examined alleged abuses by the parties, and produced a substantial study later issued as Libya: From Repression to Revolution. Another project, Fighting Impunity and Promoting International Justice, examined post-conflict justice mechanisms through regional and thematic studies and conferences. The institute has also maintained an academic mission. It offers specialist courses in international criminal law for young penalists and other courses for junior prosecutors and defence lawyers. One or two post-graduate resident fellowships are offered annually according to the reference material, allowing fellows to conduct research while participating in the institute's conferences and seminars. Its publishing programme has produced more than 149 books connected with its research and expert activities. The organisation has consultative status with the United Nations as a non-governmental organisation and cooperates with international, regional, and educational institutions. In 2017, it adopted the current Siracusa International Institute for Criminal Justice and Human Rights name. Jean François Thony has been president since that year.
- 2017
Current name adopted
[1]The organisation adopts the English name Siracusa International Institute for Criminal Justice and Human Rights; Jean François Thony is identified as president from this year.
- 2011
Libya human-rights documentation project
[1]The institute develops a documentation and research project concerning the Libyan conflict and alleged human-rights abuses.
- 2007
Iraq rule-of-law recommendations
[1]The institute compiles recommendations for an integrated future rule-of-law strategy for Iraq.
- 2006
Macedonian justice-sector support
[1]A programme supports Macedonia's public prosecution service, judicial effectiveness, anti-corruption framework, and alignment with European standards.
- 2003
Afghanistan programme expands
[1]The institute becomes involved in justice and counter-narcotics capacity building in Afghanistan.
- 1979
Arab-world programmes begin
[1]The institute begins sustained programmes for legal scholars and practitioners from Arab countries, focusing on international criminal, humanitarian, and human-rights law.
- 1972
Institute founded in Sicily
[1]The organisation is established in Siracusa as the Istituto Superiore Internazionale di Scienze Criminali, with involvement from M. Cherif Bassiouni, the Association Internationale de Droit Penal, local authorities, and the Chamber of Commerce.
Products and positioning
A specialist, internationally connected non-governmental institute combining advanced criminal-law scholarship with practical training, legal-policy development, and rule-of-law assistance in domestic, international, and post-conflict settings.
Research and publishing · 1972
International criminal-law research and publications
The institute produces comparative research, conference proceedings, policy studies, guidelines, and books covering international criminal law, human rights, humanitarian law, post-conflict justice, organised crime, and international cooperation. The cited reference material states that its publishing activity has produced more than 149 books.
Professional and postgraduate education
Specialization Courses in International Criminal Law
Specialist courses serve young penalists and other early-career legal professionals. The courses combine advanced instruction with exposure to international experts, conferences, and current developments in international criminal justice.
Capacity building
Justice-sector technical assistance
The institute designs and implements programmes for judges, prosecutors, police, public officials, lawyers, and other justice-sector operators. Topics include investigation, prosecution, extradition, mutual legal assistance, organised crime, human rights, judicial independence, and post-conflict institutional reform.
Academic fellowship
Post-graduate resident fellowships
The institute offers one or two resident fellowships per year according to the cited reference material. Fellows pursue individual research while participating in the institute's seminars, conferences, and wider scholarly activities.
Legal guidance
Siracusa Guidelines for Fact-Finding Bodies
This research output sets out principles and best practices for international, regional, and national commissions of inquiry and fact-finding bodies, drawing on comparative experience from earlier investigations and tribunals.
Marketing campaigns
- 2011Protecting Human Rights in North Africa
Libya · North Africa
The project assembled government, media, NGO, and other public-source material about the Libyan conflict, established historical context, and assessed reported human-rights abuses by the various parties.
Outcome. The research was intended to support the work of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry and later United Nations and International Criminal Court efforts; it was subsequently developed into the book Libya: From Repression to Revolution.
- 2006Macedonia Judicial Capacity Programme
Macedonia
Technical support was provided to a programme involving the Italian Ministry of Justice, Macedonia's public prosecution service, and the European Agency for Reconstruction. The work addressed EU-aligned legal frameworks, court procedures, corruption, and judicial independence.
Outcome. The programme sought to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and independence of Macedonia's justice institutions.
- 2003Afghanistan Justice and Counter-Narcotics Programme
Afghanistan
A long-running technical-assistance programme focused on Afghanistan's judicial and counter-narcotics sectors. The institute supported training for justice-system personnel and cooperated with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime on law-reform activities.
Outcome. The cited material reports training for more than 2,700 Afghan justice-sector operators.
- Fighting Impunity and Promoting International Justice
International
A research programme examined how post-conflict societies can design justice mechanisms suited to their particular circumstances. It used regional and thematic studies led by expert contributors.
Outcome. Results were disseminated through six regional conferences and used to develop model guidance for post-conflict justice.
Brand decisions
2017
Adoption of the Siracusa International Institute identityStrategyBackground
The organisation had operated for decades under the name International Institute of Higher Studies in Criminal Sciences, or ISISC.
Action taken
It began using the current English name, emphasising criminal justice and human rights alongside its established criminal-sciences mission.
Aftermath
The institute continued its research, education, international cooperation, and technical-assistance activities under the updated identity.
Recent events
- 2017
Institute adopts the Siracusa International Institute name[1]
Other
The organisation formerly known as the International Institute of Higher Studies in Criminal Sciences began using its current English name.
- 2017
Jean François Thony becomes president[1]
Leadership change
Jean François Thony is identified as the institute's president from 2017 onward.
Sources2 sources
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