Kristin Smith

#Atrocityprevention and accountability (views my own!). #Humanrights lawyer & advocate.

[Wai Wai Nu @waiwainu]

Thank you @RepMcCaul and @RepMeeks for your support and leadership as bipartisan action for #RohingyaGAPAct in addressing the crisis in Burma, and Rohingya genocide.

More than ever #Rohingya needs your leadership now to end ongoing atrocities and bring justice and lasting peace.

[Kristin Smith @kristinjpsmith]

#UniversalJurisdiction cases often (not always) respond to lack of justice in intl cts or countries where crimes occurred, which may be discouraging. But its rise also demonstrates & ingrains the norm that atrocities harm & concern the intl community as whole, which is powerful⚖️

[Kristin Smith @kristinjpsmith]

Had a wonderful time on Friday talking and learning about #universaljurisdiction with students and colleagues @AUWCL.

I discussed the need for strong legal frameworks that cover substantive crimes like #CAH as atrocities and remove practical barriers that linger in the law.

[Academy Human Rights @AcadHumanRights]

Join us tomorrow at the Symposium on Universal Jurisdiction and War Crimes Prosecution organized by @AUWCL and #AUILR. Our Co-Director, Prof. Diego Rodríguez-Pinzón, will discuss trends in Universal Jurisdiction and its applicability to Syria and Ukraine. Don't miss it!

[Kristin Smith @kristinjpsmith]

We also discussed trends, including work of colleagues & NGOs (like @SJAC_info @truth_hounds @Trial @Civitas_Maxima @ECCHRBerlin & others) who have pioneered these investigations and advanced the expectation of justice incl. through UJ, cooperation & other complementary paths.

[ECCHR @ECCHRBerlin]

🚨The French Supreme Court upholds the charge of complicity in crimes against humanity against the French cement manufacturer #Lafarge (now #Holcim). However, the court dropped the charge of endangering the lives of its former Syrian employees.
👉https://t.co/J4XVLR91qD

[Philip Grant @PhilipGrant40]

In 20+ years working in this field, I've never seen such an acceleration of #UniversalJurisdiction cases.
In just the past weeks:
1⃣ opening in #Sweden of a case against corporate actors (a world premiere) for complicity in #warcrimes committed in #Sudan (the #Lundin case)
2⃣ a former minister and #Congolese warlord sent to trial on #crimesagainsthumanity charges in #France
3⃣ a former minister of Interior of #Gambia soon to go on trial on crimes against humanity charges in #Switzerland.
4⃣ complaint filed in #Argentina against former #Colombian President Alvaro Uribe for 6000+ cases of extrajudicial execution
5⃣ arrest warrant issued by France against no less than #Syria's Bashar al-Assad for use of chemical weapons
6⃣ start of trials in #Belgium and France related to the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in #Rwanda
7⃣ announcement that the trial of an alleged former member of a Gambia death squad will take place next year in the #USA.
8⃣ former minister of Defence of #Algeria Khaled Nezzar will go on trial in #Switzerland on war crimes and crimes against humanity charges, probably in 2024.
9⃣#Switzerland acquitted a member of a #Belarussian hit team who had confessed to taking part in the disappearance of opposition members (appeals have been filed, case to be continued...)
🔟 filling of complaints of #Russian war crimes in #Ukraine before German authorities.
On top of that, you have of course other trials currently running or soon to be in The Netherland, Finland, Germany, Sweden...
Interested by following UJ cases all over the world?
Please join us Monday 20 November live at 4pm CET to discover UJIM, @trial's newest tool, the "Universal Jurisdiction Interactive Map" with @mazenadarwish3 (@SyrianCenter) and @AidaSamani (@crdefenders) and yours truly.
>>> https://t.co/stwiOIYldU

[Atlas Women @atlas_women]

. @GlobalJusticeC @akilaGJC are doing phenomenal work, together of course with the irreplaceable @leilasadat1 and other jurists.

Next month, the UN #SixthCommittee will debate on the draft treaty on crimes against humanity,

Please have a look at the video explainer!

[Liz Evenson @liz_evenson]

We're hiring! Our team @hrw is looking for a short-term (seven months) law clerk/research assistant to support our efforts to advance justice for victims of serious international crimes.

Check out the posting and apply by Sept 27 🗓

https://t.co/V5jzpJi4vJ

[Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice @StateDept_GCJ]

The U.S. is taking a whole-of-government approach to anticipate, prevent, & respond to atrocities. Today, @StateDept & @USAID joined a discussion with @AfPeacebuilding to launch the 2023 Elie Wiesel Act Report outlining how we address these challenges. https://t.co/0lcDYDxbI0

[Virginie Amato @VirginieAmato]

‼️ Last day to apply‼️

Come work with us at the @ngos4justice Secretariat team, as Senior Advocacy & Program Officer in The Hague!

All ℹ️ https://t.co/3MRrcMXLga 

#internationaljustice #job #vacancy #ICC #JusticeMatters #NGOvoices

[JURIST @JURISTnews]

Marking the Day of International Criminal Justice, @liz_evenson, International Justice Director at @hrw, calls on the international community to take concrete steps to ensure equal access to justice for victims around the globe. https://t.co/EuE9W7e8BQ

[Kristin Smith @kristinjpsmith]

"While the international community must exert pressure to stop the devastating war in #Sudan, it must also find ways to show that it sees progress toward #accountability as a non-negotiable priority. Among other things, that means not losing sight of [] three #ICC suspects."

[Mutasim A. Ali @mutasimali3]

The most recent publication with @adamofkeith. It was sent for publication before the recent killing in W Darfur. We call on the U.S. to offer rewards under its War Crimes Rewards Program for information that leads to the arrest of the ICC suspects. +

https://t.co/s8HZrGAmGG

[Kristin Smith @kristinjpsmith]

Thanks to organizers of ICC Scholars Forum for having me to talk advocacy today!

Fascinating scholarship, and energizing discussion on changes to US law in last session, strategies to encourage more consistent supportive US engagement w the ICC, & ideas for further research.💡

[Congresswoman Sara Jacobs @RepSaraJacobs]

The Ukrainian Prosecutor General told me supporting the ICC is supporting Ukraine. So I’m concerned about DoD blocking U.S. cooperation for the ICC’s investigations into war crimes in Ukraine when we passed a law allowing them to do so. We need answers.
https://t.co/9ZiNzI8uGT

[Kristin Smith @kristinjpsmith]

Another great example re impact of universal jurisdiction cases & laws, as well as the victims and NGOs advancing accountability!

US has prev. prosecuted alleged perpetrators of atrocities in Liberia for immigration violations, but lacks jurisdiction over #crimesagainsthumanity

[Civitas Maxima @Civitas_Maxima]

Today, the FCC found #AlieuKosiah, former #ULIMO commander during the First Liberian Civil War, guilty of #warcrimes and #crimesagainsthumanity.

[Just Security @just_security]

A proposed #CrimesAgainstHumanity #treaty drew a diverse cross-section of States for the first of a series of discussions on the #InternationalLawCommission’s draft articles.

@leilasadat1 and @akilaGJC outline the open questions:

#MLAT #MLAInitiative
https://t.co/2aY2EmkCEz

[Coalition for the ICC (CICC) @ngos4justice]

The Bureau of the @IntlCrimCourt’s Assembly of States Parties @PASPFernandez has introduced a historic ad hoc vetting process for candidates in the election for ICC judges, to ensure they have a ‘high moral character’ as required by the Rome Statute

🔗https://t.co/01Of0QxNFO

[Kristin Smith @kristinjpsmith]

US law permits certain limited forms of assistance to the ICC, but in reality, they're being blocked by an antiquated policy objection.

Biden admin should make good on promises to support accountability for atrocities by sharing evidence w/ the ICC.

https://t.co/F1WzlrpLjg

[Senator Dick Durbin @SenatorDurbin]

Perpetrators committing unspeakable war crimes must be held to account. That’s what @ChuckGrassley, @LindseyGrahamSC & I shared with the International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor, Karim Khan. The U.S. must work with the ICC & provide evidence of Russian atrocities in Ukraine.

[Adam Keith @adamofkeith]

In light of recent events in Sudan, we updated the @humanrights1st tracker of International Criminal Court cases with a tab of information on the court’s Darfur defendants.
https://t.co/hdnkhErwol

[Esti Tambay @EstiTambay]

Here are @hrw recommendations for US 🇺🇸 Congress to criminalize crimes against humanity and ensure domestic prosecutions of serious international crimes.