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Fatou Bensouda
Former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court
The prosecutor who held the powerful to account before the world's highest court.
The rise
A Gambian lawyer and former justice minister, Bensouda rose to become Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (2012–2021).
What they did
She pursued cases on war crimes and crimes against humanity worldwide — and pushed back when great powers tried to shield themselves from accountability.
The full picture
The ICC faced accusations of bias toward Africa and was even sanctioned by a major power during her tenure, exposing the fragility of international justice.
Why it matters
Bensouda showed an African woman could hold the world's most powerful to the same legal standard as anyone.
“Justice knows no borders, and no one is above the law.”