Extension of International Responsibility Regime to Non-State Actors with Emphasis on Secessionists

The law of international responsibility is one of the branches of international law which deals with the principles governing international actors to stop wrongful acts and to compensate for the damages. The law of international responsibility was born when international law was limited to interactions of states, and non-state actors were seen just as the victims of states wrongful acts. At present, classic roles in international relationships have changed, and an increasing tendency in internal wars makes it important to review non-state actor's status in light of the law of international responsibility. Nowadays, non-state actors are not only victims of international law, but also violate international law themselves. The current study shows the possibility of raising international responsibility of non-state actors and explain it on international responsibility of secessionists. Secessionist insurgents as the main cause of non-international armed conflicts are prone to violate international law especially humanitarian law. Furthermore, contrary to the past studies, which concerned claims against states, this study is an attempt to assess the possibility of bringing a claim against the secessionists.