International Justice
We work to strengthen the system of international criminal justice to hold accountable those responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
The Open Society Justice Initiative supports the mission of the International Criminal Court, as well as national and regional accountability mechanisms that seek justice for mass atrocity crimes.
To make the International Criminal Court more effective, we support civil society engagement with the court and the defense of Rome Statute principles. Our International Justice Monitor is a leading source for informed, balanced reporting on trials underway at the court and elsewhere.
At a national level, we work with local groups and prosecutors seeking to build effective institutions and cases concerning atrocity crimes. When political factors obstruct justice at home, we push for alternative ways to hold perpetrators to account.
Building Roads to Justice in Syria
The Open Society Justice Initiative is part of a broad movement of Syrian and international groups that are bringing some of those responsible for atrocity crimes in Syria before courts in Europe.
Dead End at Cambodia's Khmer Rouge Tribunal: UN Must Respond
The Open Society Justice Initiative is calling on the United Nations to cease support for three pending cases at Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge tribunal in response to political interference that has made it impossible to complete the cases consistent with applicable law.
Raising the Bar: Improving the Nomination and Election of Judges to the International Criminal Court
There are currently significant flaws in the way that the member states of the International Criminal Court identify and elect judges to the court, leading to the election of less-qualified candidates, and a bench dominated by a handful of states.
Cases
Federal Prosecutor's Office v. Anwar R.
This case, brought in Germany under the principles of Universal Jurisdiction, involves alleged responsibility for crimes against humanity committed in Syria, involving the accused, a former senior official with the Syrian government's General Intelligence Directorate.
Citizens Against Violence and Others v. the Attorney General of Kenya and Others
More than 400 Kenyans were shot dead by police during the post-election violence in Kenya in early 2008. Victims have brought a class action constitutional case demanding accountability for the killings.
Coalition on Violence Against Women and Others v. the Attorney-General of Kenya and Others
A group of Kenyan civil society organizations and victims of sexual and gender-based violence have brought a case to the Nairobi High Court against six Kenyan government officials demanding accountability.
Recent work
How NGOs, Journalists, and Courtroom Eyewitnesses can Strengthen Reporting on Atrocity Crimes Trials
Trial monitors play an important role in keeping the public informed of events in the courtroom. The Justice Initiative’s Monitoring Atrocity Crimes Trials: A Guide, offers clear guidance on what to monitor and how to convey important information.
Universal Jurisdiction Law and Practice in Norway
The principle of universal jurisdiction allows national courts to investigate and prosecute international crimes committed on foreign territory by foreign nationals. This briefing paper provides an overview of Norway's legal framework on universal jurisdiction and was produced in partnership with TRIAL International.
Recent Developments at the Extraordinary Chambers of the Courts of Cambodia: January, 2020
A ten-year deadlock over efforts to prosecute former Khmer Rouge senior officials for atrocity crimes is entering its final stages, after the ECCC pre-trial chamber split on whether to proceed with the trial of Ao An.
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