Newsroom
The Open Society Justice Initiative pursues strategic litigation and engages in policy advocacy in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. Read our News Releases and Advocacy Updates on our work.
Justice Initiative Joins Statement Calling For Greater Accountability for Syria’s War Crimes Ahead of Major International Chemical Weapons Meeting
In advance of the second meeting of the 25th Session of the Conference of the States Parties of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), 15 organizations have released a joint statement urging states to pursue greater accountability for crimes against humanity perpetrated during the Syrian conflict.
April 15, 2021Open Society Justice Initiative Welcomes Revocation of ICC Executive Order
The Biden administration has rescinded a controversial Trump-era executive order that authorized draconian economic sanctions and severe civil and criminal penalties against those who support the International Criminal Court.
April 02, 2021Denmark’s Plan to Rebrand its Racist “Ghetto Package” Will Cause More Housing Evictions
The new proposal simply replaces the term “ghetto” with “parallel societies,” but also increases the number of areas covered by the legislation and includes a requirement to reduce those of “non-Western background” to a maximum of 30 percent within ten years.
March 19, 2021Justice Initiative Supports ACLU’s Challenge against International Criminal Court Sanctions
The Justice Initiative supports the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), who filed a preliminary injunction in their case challenging the Trump administration’s executive order that authorized sanctions against individuals who assist the ICC.
March 15, 2021The Justice Initiative Joins Survivors of Chemical Weapons Attacks and Syrian NGOs in Seeking French Criminal Investigation
The Justice Initiative has joined the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) and Syrian Archive in seeking a French criminal investigation into August 2013 chemical weapons attacks on the city of Douma and on Eastern Ghouta. The NGOs collaborated on a criminal complaint that was filed by SCM.
March 02, 2021Open Society Calls for Global Sanctions on Saudi Crown Prince after U.S. Intelligence Report on Khashoggi Murder
The Biden administration released an unclassified intelligence report showing who is responsible for the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. The Justice Initiative is calling for accountability.
February 26, 2021Justice Initiative Welcomes First-Ever Conviction of Syrian Official for Crimes Against Humanity
In the trial of Eyad al-Gharib, a German court has, for the first time, convicted a Syrian official of crimes against humanity for acts perpetrated during the country’s decade long civil conflict.
February 24, 2021ASP Presidency Fails to Protect the Integrity of the Election of the Next ICC Prosecutor
In advance of the election of the next International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor now scheduled for February 12, 2021, the Justice Initiative laments the failure of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) presidency to establish a genuine vetting process for all candidates.
February 10, 2021