CIJA in the News

NEWS ARCHIVE




Maria Pia Grizzuti Maria Pia Grizzuti

Countless Brave Syrian Activists Made the Koblenz Torture Trial Possible

Mansour Omari writes about the work of CIJA Syria investigators in collecting evidence now made available in criminal trials, such as the one against Anwar Ruslan in Koblenz, Germany.

Read More: Countless Brave Syrian Activists Made The Koblenz Torture Trial Possible | Campaigns blog | 12 Oct 2020 | Amnesty International UK

Mansour Omari writes about the work of CIJA Syria investigators in collecting evidence now made available in criminal trials, such as the one against Anwar Ruslan in Koblenz, Germany.

Read More: Countless Brave Syrian Activists Made The Koblenz Torture Trial Possible | Campaigns blog | 12 Oct 2020 | Amnesty International UK

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Maria Pia Grizzuti Maria Pia Grizzuti

CIJA publishes its first Annual Report, 2019-2020

CIJA’s Annual Report 2019 – 2020 highlights our effort to support the prosecution of members of the Syrian Regime and IS through independent investigations to collect and prevent the loss of vital evidence.

CIJA’s Annual Report 2019 – 2020 highlights our effort to support the prosecution of members of the Syrian Regime and IS through independent investigations to collect and prevent the loss of vital evidence.

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Maria Pia Grizzuti Maria Pia Grizzuti

Podcast: Private Investigations with Nerma Jelacic

CIJA Director Nerma Jelacic sits down with the hosts of Asymmetrical Haircuts to talk about the CIJA Model of investigations and how it is assisting law enforcement agencies and international justice bodies pursuing accountability for core international crimes.

Read More: Episode 28 – Private Investigations with Nerma Jelacic – asymmetrical haircuts

CIJA Director Nerma Jelacic sits down with the hosts of Asymmetrical Haircuts to talk about the CIJA Model of investigations and how it is assisting law enforcement agencies and international justice bodies pursuing accountability for core international crimes.

Read More: Episode 28 – Private Investigations with Nerma Jelacic – asymmetrical haircuts

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Maria Pia Grizzuti Maria Pia Grizzuti

How U.S. Sanctions Can Crack the Syrian Regime

Foreign Affairs examines how evidence of mass atrocity in Syria, including that secured by CIJA, led to the adoption of the US Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act (2019).

Read More: How U.S. Sanctions Can Crack the Syrian Regime | Foreign Affairs

Foreign Affairs examines how evidence of mass atrocity in Syria, including that secured by CIJA, led to the adoption of the US Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act (2019).

Read More: How U.S. Sanctions Can Crack the Syrian Regime | Foreign Affairs

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Maria Pia Grizzuti Maria Pia Grizzuti

The search for Syrian war criminals in Europe

Harper’s Magazine reports on the search of former ranking officers of the Syrian regime suspected of crimes against humanity in Europe and details CIJA’s assistance to war crimes units across the continent.

Read More: [Letter from Germany] In Plain Sight, By Annie Hylton | Harper's Magazine

Harper’s Magazine reports on the search of former ranking officers of the Syrian regime suspected of crimes against humanity in Europe and details CIJA’s assistance to war crimes units across the continent.

Read More: [Letter from Germany] In Plain Sight, By Annie Hylton | Harper's Magazine

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Maria Pia Grizzuti Maria Pia Grizzuti

Innovations in investigating sexual and gender-based violence through private investigations

The widespread and systematic use of sexual and gender-based violence is a defining feature of the Syria and Iraq conflicts. CIJA Senior Advisor on sexual and gender-based violence, Stephanie Barbour, has contributed to a Special Issue of the Journal of International Criminal Justice dedicated to this critical theme entitled Justice and Accountability for Sexual Violence in Conflict: Progress and Challenges in National Efforts to Address Impunity. The expert contribution offers an unprecedented look at CIJA’s pioneering work on documenting and investigating sexual offences committed by the Syrian military and security apparatus and Islamic State. An invaluable resource for international justice practitioners, the article examines CIJA’s case-building strategy and outlines some of the innovations, good practices and lessons learned in response to challenges arising in sexual offence investigation, such as socio-cultural barriers to effective investigation of SGBV, the risk of creating SGBV silos, and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of national investigators.

 

The Special Issue – jointly presented by the Journal of International Criminal Justice and the UN Team of Experts on Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict – is published in commemoration of the tenth-year anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1888 (2009), which established the UN Team of Experts.

 

Reference: Stephanie Barbour, “Supporting Accountability for Sexual Violence in the Syria and Iraq Conflicts: Innovations, Good Practices, and Lessons Learned through Private Criminal Investigations”, Journal of International Criminal Justice, Volume 18, Issue 2, May 2020, Pages 397–423.

The widespread and systematic use of sexual and gender-based violence is a defining feature of the Syria and Iraq conflicts. CIJA Senior Advisor on sexual and gender-based violence, Stephanie Barbour, has contributed to a Special Issue of the Journal of International Criminal Justice dedicated to this critical theme entitled Justice and Accountability for Sexual Violence in Conflict: Progress and Challenges in National Efforts to Address Impunity. The expert contribution offers an unprecedented look at CIJA’s pioneering work on documenting and investigating sexual offences committed by the Syrian military and security apparatus and Islamic State. An invaluable resource for international justice practitioners, the article examines CIJA’s case-building strategy and outlines some of the innovations, good practices and lessons learned in response to challenges arising in sexual offence investigation, such as socio-cultural barriers to effective investigation of SGBV, the risk of creating SGBV silos, and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of national investigators.

 

The Special Issue – jointly presented by the Journal of International Criminal Justice and the UN Team of Experts on Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict – is published in commemoration of the tenth-year anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1888 (2009), which established the UN Team of Experts.

 

Reference: Stephanie Barbour, “Supporting Accountability for Sexual Violence in the Syria and Iraq Conflicts: Innovations, Good Practices, and Lessons Learned through Private Criminal Investigations”, Journal of International Criminal Justice, Volume 18, Issue 2, May 2020, Pages 397–423.

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Maria Pia Grizzuti Maria Pia Grizzuti

Investigators build a case for IS crimes against Yazidis

Granted access to evidence amassed by CIJA, Associated Press maps the system of slavery
implemented by Islamic State following its assault on Iraq’s Yazidi community in August
2014. CIJA’s investigations have identified 49 prominent IS figures involved in establishing
and managing the group’s heinous operation.

Granted access to evidence amassed by CIJA, Associated Press maps the system of slavery
implemented by Islamic State following its assault on Iraq’s Yazidi community in August
2014. CIJA’s investigations have identified 49 prominent IS figures involved in establishing
and managing the group’s heinous operation.

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Maria Pia Grizzuti Maria Pia Grizzuti

Germany opens landmark trial of Syrian regime officers accused of crimes against humanity

As covered by CNN, evidence compiled by CIJA is being relied upon at a landmark trial in Germany against Colonel Anwar Raslan, the first case being brought against a senior member of the Syrian regime. Indicted alongside Ayad al-Ghareeb, Raslan is accused of overseeing the torture of at least 4,000 prisoners before he fled Syria for Europe in late 2012.

As covered by CNN, evidence compiled by CIJA is being relied upon at a landmark trial in Germany against Colonel Anwar Raslan, the first case being brought against a senior member of the Syrian regime. Indicted alongside Ayad al-Ghareeb, Raslan is accused of overseeing the torture of at least 4,000 prisoners before he fled Syria for Europe in late 2012.

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Maria Pia Grizzuti Maria Pia Grizzuti

How Syrian War Crimes Are Being Investigated — in Europe

After Germany issued the first arrest warrant for a senior official of the Assad regime in June 2018, a raft a criminal complaints have been filed across European jurisdictions including France, Austria, Sweden and Norway. CIJA is supporting numerous such investigations and provides ongoing assistance to prosecutorial authorities throughout Europe and North America.

After Germany issued the first arrest warrant for a senior official of the Assad regime in June 2018, a raft a criminal complaints have been filed across European jurisdictions including France, Austria, Sweden and Norway. CIJA is supporting numerous such investigations and provides ongoing assistance to prosecutorial authorities throughout Europe and North America.

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Maria Pia Grizzuti Maria Pia Grizzuti

‘It gives us hope’: European prosecutors piece together cases against Syrian regime war criminals

CIJA’s unprecedented evidence holdings, exceeding 800,000 pages of Syrian regime documents and thousands of testimonial interviews, are being drawn upon by prosecutors throughout Europe as they seek accountability for crimes committed by the Assad government.

CIJA’s unprecedented evidence holdings, exceeding 800,000 pages of Syrian regime documents and thousands of testimonial interviews, are being drawn upon by prosecutors throughout Europe as they seek accountability for crimes committed by the Assad government.

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