Creating a Virtual Human Rights Lawyer Week: Friday Sessions

By the Virtual Human Rights Lawyer Team

How can legal logic be translated into a robot that can ‘speak’ to a user? How much empathy does a legal chatbot need to demonstrate to users? What data privacy risks are involved with using a human rights chatbot? PILPG-NL’s Virtual Human Rights Lawyer project (VHRL), aims at developing a chatbot to enhance access to and knowledge of international human rights mechanisms. During the first phase of the project, the VHRL team attempted to tackle these questions by organizing seven Friday sessions.  For each session, an expert specializing in the field relevant to one of the project modules was invited. After a brief presentation, the experts discussed the implications of their work relating to the project at hand, and provided inputs for the development of the VHRL project. 

The Virtual Human Rights Lawyer team was able to hear from the following guest speakers on their experiences:

1. 22 February 2019: Jasmijn de Zeeuw, who spoke about the relevance of the project to Namibia.

2. 1 March 2019: Floris den Hengst - PhD student at the VU’s AI department, and member of the Computational Intelligence Group - on decision trees, how chatbots can be structured, and artificial intelligence terminology. 

3. 8 March 2019: Laura van der Lubbe - PhD student in the VU’s Artificial Intelligence department - on serious games, gamification and how these concepts can be used for the Virtual Human Rights Lawyer chatbot and how they can inform user experience.

4. 22 March 2019: Jill Bähring -former PILPG Senior Research Associate and now Privacy Counsel for the Privacy Company - on data protection and privacy, with a focus on the General Data Protection Regulation. 

5. 12 April 2019: Lenin Medeiros on making chatbots more empathetic.

6. 26 April 2019: Laura Andeweg - a cyber security consultant at Capgemini - on data protection and privacy with a focus on the GDPR, and Marijn Markus - a senior data scientist - on artificial intelligence. 

7. 3 May 2019: Nadine Blignaut van Westrhenen - a researcher in community-based health interventions and education innovation at the VU - on the benefits of the educational model of community service learning in which students work together with the community or society on real time projects through internships. 

These sessions allowed PILPG Research Associates, with their background in law and policy, to learn about the different aspects that goes into applying their knowledge to the creation of legal technology. When law interacts with technology, much more than words on a page must be considered . As the VHRL project is in essence an interdisciplinary project, it depends on the input of people from many different backgrounds and disciplines. The input and comments from the guest speakers helped the team gain new perspectives and learn from the speakers projects and experiences. 

PILPG-NL extends its gratitude to the speakers for their contributions and continued support.  

October 2019

October 2019 - ICC News Update

By Rachel Grand, Junior Research Associate PILPG-NL

Lawyering Justice has resumed the Monthly News Updates segment. this post compiles the latest news on the work of the International Criminal Court.  The information is drawn from local and international online sources.

Africa

Mali | International Criminal Court puts Mali War Crimes Suspect to Trial

Judges confirmed charges against Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz, for war crimes and crimes against humanity, were substantial enough to put him on trial.  The date for the trial has not yet been set. [September 30, 2019]

Central African Republic | ICC Concludes Confirmation of Charges Hearing in Yekatom and Nagaissona Case

The Pre-Trial Chamber II hearings to determine if there is sufficient evidence to establish substantial grounds for the charges against Yekatom and Nagaissona concluded.  The judges have 60 days to deliberate and present a written decision.  [October 11, 2019]

Nigeria | ICC Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, concludes visit to Abuia, Nigeria

Prosecutor Bensouda met with the Vice President of Nigeria, H.E. Mr Yemi Osinbajo, to discuss the Nigerian government’s support and cooperation with the Office of the Prosecutor’s preliminary examination of the situation in Nigeria.  [October 14, 2019]

Cote d’Ivoire | ICC Prosecutor Asks Judges to Declare a Mistrial in Gbagbo Case

Judges acquitted Gbagbo last January based on the prosecution’s failure to satisfy the burden of proof of several core elements of the case.  Prosecutor Bensouda filed an appeal this month, citing the trial judges’ failure to comply with the court’s rules to offer written explanation for the decision to acquit Gbagbo.  [October 18, 2019]

 Uganda | Judges Reject Defense Motion to Dismiss Sexual and Gender-Based Crimes Against Ongwen

Trial Chamber IX unanimously rejected the defense motion to dismiss 11 counts of sexual and gender-based crimes because it was late.  [October 20, 2019]

Uganda | Ongwen Trial to End in 2020

Prosecutors announced that the trial of Dominic Ongwen is likely to conclude in the next year after the presentation of evidence is concluded this December.  [October 23, 2019]

DRC | ICC Trial Chamber VI to deliver Sentence in Ntaganda case on 7 November 2019

The ICC announced that the Trail Chamber VI will deliver its decision on the sentencing for the case of Prosecutor v. Bosco Ntaganda in the coming weeks.  [October 29, 2019]

Europe

Poland | President of Poland Visits International Criminal Court

President of Poland, H.E. Andrzej Duda, visited the ICC to express support and the countries commitment to the of the ICC.  [October 30, 2019]

Asia

Afghanistan | Prosecutor Files Appeal Brief in ICC’s Afghanistan Case

The Prosecutor appealed the Pre-Trial Chamber’s (PTC) decision to decline her request to open an investigation.  The grounds of the appeal were based on the prosecutor’s belief that the PTC abused the use of discretion by not authorizing an investigation.  [October 3. 2019]

Korea | ICC Registrar visits Republic of Korea

ICC Registrar, Peter Lewis, visited the Republic of Korea to discuss their support of the ICC and awareness raising about the ICC’s mandate and work in the Asia-Pacific region.  [October 31, 2019]

North America

United States of America | ICC President and Prosecutor Attend the UN General Assembly

Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji and ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda attended the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly.  This event provides a key platform to highlight the work of the ICC, build support, and to draw on synergies with relevant stakeholders and actors to further the goals of the Rome Statute.  [October 1, 2019]

October 2019

October 2019 - Domestic Prosecution of International Crimes Updates

By Raghavi Viswanath and Erez Roman, Junior Research Associates PILPG-NL

Lawyering Justice has resumed the Monthly News Updates segment. This post collects updates from October 2019 concerning the domestic prosecution of international crimes.  The information is drawn from local and international news online sources.

Europe

Bosnia-Herzegovina | Bosnia charges former Serbian soldiers with crimes against humanity 

The Bosnian prosecution charged Radovan Paprica, alias Papro, and Slavko Ognjenovic, alias Macak, with committing crimes against humanity in Foca in eastern Bosnia in 1992 while they were members of the Bosnian Serb Army.  (Oct.3, 2019)

Bosnia-Herzegovina | Bosnia indicts former Serbian soldiers for torturing civilian detainees

The Bosnian state prosecution indicted Jovan Kusic, alias Joja, and Branislav Vukovic, alias Bato, for having participated in the unlawful detention, torture, abuse and beating of Bosniak civilians who were detained in a gym at the Cultural Centre in Pale in May and June 1992.  Kusic and Vukovic were charged, in their capacity as employees of the police Public Security Station in Pale, with committing crimes against humanity. (Oct. 4, 2019).

France |  French court upholds life sentence for new genocide convicts

The French Court of Cassation has upheld the life sentence of two Rwandans who were convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity committed in 1994 in Rwanda.  Octavian Ngenzi and Tito Barahira, successive Mayors (Bourgmestres) of the former Kabarondo Commune, were accused of participating in the massacre of Tutsi refugees at the Kabarondo Catholic Church, resulting in the death of 1,200 people.  (Oct.21, 2019)

 Bosnia-Herzegovina | 20 years of prison for Visegrad killings

Radomir Šušnjar, also known as “Lalco”, was found guilty for the murder of 57 Bosniaks in Višegrad, a town in the east of Serbian Republic of Bosnia.  These people were burnt alive in a house in Pionirska Street in 1992. The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina sentenced this former Bosnian Serb soldier to 20 years of prison for war crimes against the civilian population.  (Oct.30, 2019).

Germany | Criminal trial for crimes against humanity in Syria

Prosecutors in Germany have charged two alleged former Syrian secret service officers with crimes against humanity.  Anwar Raslan is alleged to have led an investigation unit which is accused of torturing detainees, and has been charged with 59 counts of murder, as well as rape and aggravated sexual assault.  Eyad al-Gharib is accused of reporting directly to Raslan, and arresting protesters who were then delivered to the investigation unit’s prison, known as Branch 251. The trial is set to start in 2020. (Oct.31, 2019).

The Netherlands | Dutch foreign fighter convicted of a war crime

The Rechtbank Den Haag convicted a Dutch national fighting for one of the warring groups in the Syrian civil war.  The convict was handed a prison sentence of seven years and six months for committing war crimes perpetrated by the Islamic State.  (Oct.11, 2019).

Asia

Bangladesh | Supreme Court upholds Azhar’s death penalty

The Supreme Court of Bangladesh upheld the death sentence of top Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam for his involvement in genocide and crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.  A four-member bench of the SC’s Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, delivered the verdict around five years after the International Crimes Tribunal-1 handed down capital punishment to Azhar for the crimes committed in Rangpur. (Nov. 01, 2019)

South America

Guatemala |  Former Chief of Military Operations Arrested in Maya Ixil Genocide Case

Guatemalan authorities arrested retired Army Colonel César Octavio Noguera Argueta. Together with former head of military operations and intelligence chief - Benedicto Lucas Garcia & Manuel Callejas - he is expected to be charged with genocide against the Maya Ixil group in 1982.  Noguera Argueta served as Chief of Military Operations during the last months of the Romeo Lucas García government (1978-1982). (Oct.25, 2019)

Argentina | Chaco sees convictions for crimes against humanity against civilians

Former federal prosecutor Roberto Domingo Mazzoni and former penitentiary warden Pablo César Casco became Chaco Province’s first civilians to be convicted for crimes against humanity committed during Argentina’s brutal 1976-1983 military dictatorship.  The Tribunal Oral Federal Penal court in Resistencia sentenced both to 11 years’ imprisonment and banned both from public office for life. Casco, a former prison warden at the U7 penetentiary, was found criminally responsible for torture inflicted on prisoner Hugo Dedieu.  Mazzoni was convicted for his failure to investigate the crime of torture. (Oct.2, 2019)

North America

United States | US takes custody of two high-profile ISIL fighters

The US military confirmed that it has taken custody of two high-profile members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant armed group known for beheading hostages.  The two men, previously held in Syria by Kurdish-led fighters, were moved out of the country as Turkey started an offensive there.  (Oct.10, 2019)

October 2019

By Kelly van Eeten and Francisca De Castro, Junior Research Associates PILPG-NL

October 2019 - Southern Cameroon Updates

Lawyering Justice has resumed the Monthly News Updates segment. This post provides an overview of the developments that took place in Southern Cameroon in October 2019.

Peace negotiations

Cameroonian President Paul Biya initiated a National Dialogue in October 2019, in an attempt to end the fighting against the separatists.  A number of proposals were made during the Dialogue. These included the adoption of special status for the two Anglophone regions, and changing the name of the country back to the United Republic of Cameroon. 

The National Dialogue was embraced and critiqued in equal parts.  René Emmanuel Sadi, the Minister of communications, rejected all criticism of the National Dialogue.  He called it an inclusive and historic event, and states that no major subject was eluded.  However, the rebel groups declared that they would only agree to the Dialogue only if negotiations are held in a foreign country, in the presence of UN mediators.

Release of opposition leaders

Alongside the National Dialogue, Paul Biya dropped charges against 300 people who were detained in connection with the Anglophone violence.  One remarkable release was that of Maurice Kamto, an opposition leader who had been in prison for nine months facing charges of insurrection.  The rebel groups additionally demanded the release of their leader Julius Ayuk Tabe before they could start thinking about peace negotiations. 

May & June 2019

May & June 2019 - International Criminal Court Update

BY JUAN MANUEL MARTINEZ, RESEARCH ASSOCIATE PILPG-NL

THIS POST ASSEMBLES UPDATES ON THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT. THIS POST COMBINES UPDATES FROM THE PAST TWO MONTHS. LAWYERING JUSTICE WILL TAKE A BREAK FROM POSTING UPDATES UNTIL AFTER THE SUMMER. 

AFRICA

DRC | Judge Ozaki Says No Concrete Grounds to Justify Her Disqualification from Ntaganda Case

Judge Kuniko Ozaki has dismissed accusations by defense lawyers that she violated International Criminal Court (ICC) rules on judicial independence. Judge Ozaki defended herself by stating that her appointment does not contravene any provision of the Rome Statute and that the nature of the two functions does not imply conflicts of any kind. And that her main concern following her appointment was the effective and expeditious completion of the trial against Ntaganda. [June 11, 2019]

DRC | Bid to Disqualify Judge Ozaki Dismissed

The bid to disqualify Judge Ozaki was dismissed by her fellow judges stressing that “the defense failed to demonstrate a reasonable appearance of bias in the Ntaganda case arising from the circumstances of Judge Ozaki’s appointment, ambassadorship, or resignation from the diplomatic post.” [June 20, 2019]

Sudan | Bashir accused of graft, but what about ICC charges?

The  ousted President of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir who has been accused by the OTP of the ICC of allegedly committing war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in the region of Darfur, Sudan has not been handed over to the ICC. [June 29, 2019]

Sudan | Sudan’s Bashir should be handed over or stand trial, says ICC prosecutor

The ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda has called for the Sudanese people to choose between justice and impunity in the case against al-Bashir.  Following the appearance of the deposed President before Sudanese courts on charges of homicide and corruption, Bensouda called for his surrender to The Hague to answer for crimes committed in the Darfur situation. However, she stated that she is ready “to engage in dialogue with the authorities in Sudan to ensure that the Darfur suspects face independent and impartial justice, either in a courtroom in The Hague, or in Sudan.” [June 19, 2019]

EUROPE

European Union | Meet the lawyer taking the EU migration policy to the ICC 

The European Union and its leaders publicly announced a denunciation of crimes against humanity for their migration policy. This denunciation was made by Juan Branco, a young French lawyer who worked at the International Criminal Court. He stated that it “there can be agreements or disagreements regarding migration politics, integration policies, border control etcetera. However, there are clear limits established by international criminal law.”[June 14, 2019]

European Union | ICC submission calls for prosecution of EU over migrant deaths

A 245-page document, by the two main authors Juan Branco and Omer Shatz, calls for punitive action against the EU’s migration policy after 2014. The report asks for the prosecution of the EU and its member states for the deaths of thousands of migrants, who drowned in the Mediterranean fleeing Libya. The document was handed to the International Criminal Court as a legal submission. 

 Netherlands - ICC Prosecutor Signals Important Strategy Shift in New Policy Documents

The Office of the Prosecutor released a draft of its most recent Strategic Plan for this and the next two years, which you can find here. The plan aims to change the strong focus of the ICC on only prosecuting those most responsible for a crime, at the top of the chain command, which often resulted in unsuccessful cases due to constraints in evidence collection. Therefore, the OTP has expanded its target focus slowly to include mid-level perpetrators. This could “have a better prospect of conviction in potential subsequent cases against higher-level accused.” [May 17, 2019]

ASIA 

Myanmar | ICC Presidency assigns the Situation in Bangladesh/ Myanmar to Pre-Trial Chamber III

The Prosecutor of the ICC Fatou Bensouda announced her intention to request the commencement of an investigation into the situation in Myanmar and Bangladesh to the Pre-Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Court. According to Bensouda, this request seeks “to investigate alleged crimes within the Court's jurisdiction in which at least one element occurred on the territory of the People's Republic of Bangladesh – a State Party to the Rome Statute since 1 June 2010 – and within the context of two waves of violence in Rakhine State on the territory of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, as well as any other crimes which are sufficiently linked to these events.” [June 26, 2019]

 Myanmar | Military commits war crimes in latest operation in Rakhine State

Amnesty International denounced the official Myanmar military forces which conducted operations against Rohingya civilian population in Rakhine, particularly the 22ndand 55thLight Infantry Divisions (LID). [May 29, 2019]

Malaysia | UN confirms Malaysia's withdrawal from Rome Statute, says Wisma Putra

The United Nations Secretary-General has confirmed Malaysia’s withdrawal as a signatory of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. In April this year, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad informed the ICC of Malaysia’s withdrawal from ratifying the treaty. [May 16, 2019]

Malaysia | Human Rights Watch Urges Malaysia not to quit the International Criminal Court

The Deputy Asia Director of the NGO Human Rights Watch argued that “[b]y quitting the ICC, Malaysia’s government is undermining its credibility on human rights reforms.” [April 5, 2019]