May 2022

Monthly News Updates: Domestic Prosecution of International Crimes – May 2022

By: Pauline Pfaff, Junior Research Associate, PILPG-NL 

May saw important developments in the recording of evidence and prosecutions of war crimes in Ukraine. This post provides an overview of these developments and other important news relating to the domestic prosecution of international crimes worldwide.

EUROPE

Ukraine | Guilty plea of two Russian soldiers in war crimes trial

The Kotelevska district court opened the second war crimes trial relating to the Russian invasion. The two defendants, Alexander Bobikin and Alexander Ivanov, allegedly participated in the shelling and destruction of an educational facility in Derhachi, a town in eastern Ukraine. Both plead guilty to the charges. The Ukrainian state prosecutor demands a 12-year prison sentence for each. [May 26, 2022]

European Union | Announcement of initiative Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group (ACA) for Ukraine

The European Union issued a joint statement with the United States of America and the United Kingdom announcing the establishment of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group (ACA). The purpose of the ACA is to coordinate and streamline the members’ support for accountability efforts in Ukraine. The Council of the European Union moreover adopted new evidence preservation rules for Eurojust, the Union agency that deals with judicial cooperation in criminal matters. They enable the preservation, storage, and analysis of evidence of international core crimes.  Eurojust can also share information with national and international judicial authorities. [May 25, 2022]

Netherlands | Police arrests Syrian war crimes suspect

The Dutch public prosecution service announced the arrest of a 34-year-old Syrian man alleged of having committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. The suspect is part of the militia Liwa al-Quds and was allegedly involved in the violent arrest and torture of an opposition member. This marks the first arrest of an individual accused of war crimes who was fighting on the side of President Bashar al-Assad’s government during the conflict in Syria. [May 24, 2022]

Ukraine | Court sentences Russian soldier to life imprisonment in first war crimes trial

A Ukrainian court sentenced Vadim Shishimarin, a 21-year old Russian soldier, to life in prison for the murder of an unarmed civilian.  Shishimarin pleaded guilty to killing the 62-year-old unarmed civilian in the Sumy region. This is the end of the first war crimes trial in relation to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Other trials are likely to follow as Ukrainian authorities are currently investigating approximately 10,800 incidents of alleged war crimes and have identified 600 suspects.[May 23, 2022]

France | Appeals Court upholds crimes against humanity charges against cement company

A French appeals court confirmed the charges against the cement company Lafarge of complicity in crimes against humanity in Syria. Lafarge allegedly paid around 13 million euros to Da’esh and other jihadist groups through middlemen to keep their Syrian factory operating in 2013 and 2014. In September 2021, the French supreme court overturned a 2019 court decision to drop the charges against the company. [May 18, 2022]

Netherlands | Police arrests genocide suspect

The Dutch police arrested a Rwandan former army officer in Ermelo who has been living in the Netherlands since 1998. The Rwandan government requested the individual’s arrest and extradition based on his alleged involvement in the 1994 genocide.  [May 13, 2022]

Bosnia and Herzegovina | State prosecutor indicts two former policemen for war crimes

The Bosnian state prosecutor charged two wartime policemen, Milenko Samardzija and Kosta Stanic, with the murder of 22 civilians in the area around Bijeljina in September 1992. Among the victims were children and elderly persons. The trial was due to start on March 29, but was postponed because the defendant failed to appear in court. [May 13, 2022]

France | Investigating magistrate to decide on pressing charges against Interpol president

The French anti-terror prosecutor referred the investigative findings on the torture allegations against Interpol president Ahmed Naser al-Raisi to an investigative magistrate. The magistrate will decide whether to press charges. Two British individuals, Matthew Hedges and Ali Issa Ahmed, accuse al-Raisi of being ultimately responsible for their arbitrary detention and torture in the United Arab Emirates in 2018 and 2019. At the time, al-Raisi served as a senior interior ministry official in the country.  [May 11, 2022]

France | Genocide trial of former Rwandan prefect starts

The Paris Court of Assizes opened the trial of former Rwandan prefect Laurent Bacyibarut for genocide and crimes against humanity. At the time of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, the 78-year-old defendant was the head of the western Rwandan prefecture of Gikongoro. The opening of the trial marks the fourth universal jurisdiction case in France related to the Rwandan genocide. [May 9, 2022]

Serbia | Report titles Serbian war crimes prosecution as “extremely inefficient”

The Belgrade-based Humanitarian Law Centre published its report on the work of the Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor’s Office. It alleges that most indictments issued the preceding year were in fact based on efforts from entities other than the prosecutor’s office and called it “extremely inefficient.” [May 6, 2022]

Sweden | Trial against former Iranian prison administrator concludes

The Stockholm district court concluded the trial of Hamid Noury, a former Iranian prison administrator. The war crimes and crimes against humanity charges relate to his potential role in the killing of up to 5,000 prisoners across Iran in 1988. The court scheduled the deliverance of the verdict in July. Iranian authorities oppose the trial of the former official in Sweden and summoned the Swedish envoy in protest. [May 5, 2022]

AFRICA

Liberia | Deputy Minister signals government’s intention to establish war crimes court

During the International Criminal Court’s regional conference in Dakar, Senegal, the Liberian Deputy Minister of Codification pledged his government’s commitment to the establishment of a war crimes court. The other participants of the conference welcomed the statement and simultaneously reaffirmed their commitment to the ICC and the principle of complementarity. [May 26, 2022]

Gambia | Government announces plan to implement truth commission recommendations

Following five months of deliberations, the Gambian government announced the acceptance of 263 out of 265 recommendations of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission. The commission investigated crimes committed during the 22-year rule of former president Yahya Jammeh which was characterized by several political assassinations and the suppression of opposition. The government further signaled its intention to establish a special court to try alleged perpetrators of international crimes, including former president Jammeh. [May 26, 2022]

Liberia | Former defendant sues British advocates for wrongful prosecution

Agnes Reeves Taylor, the former wife of Charles Taylor, filed damages claims for malicious prosecution and action against the Global Justice Research Project. The organization played a role in Taylor’s 2017 arrest in London on war crimes charges related to her role in the First Liberian Civil War 1989-1996. On December 6, 2019, the Central Criminal Court in London dismissed the charges against Taylor. Subsequently, she returned to Liberia, where she now filed the claim. [May 13, 2022]

THE AMERICAS

United States of America | Launch of evidence gathering program

The U.S. State Department announced the start of the program “Conflict Observatory,” which will collect, preserve, and analyze open-source evidence on alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Further, the State Department intends to share the gathered evidence with international partners, including the International Criminal Court. [May 19, 2022]

Colombia | Commissioner resigns from Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Commissioner Carlos Ospina resigned from his position at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Colombia only two months before the scheduled release of the Commission’s final report. Ospina disclosed in media interviews that he resigned over differences in the narrative provided in the report. He claims that the role of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in crimes is not represented adequately. [May 2, 2022]

May 2022

Monthly News Updates: International Criminal Court News Updates – May 2022

By: Claire Kaula, Junior Research Associate, PILPG-NL

Throughout May the ICC continued strengthening cooperation.  The Office of the Prosecutor announced a new initiative to strengthen engagement with civil society, and with the support of the Netherlands sent its largest field deployment to Ukraine.  The ICC along with Senegal held a conference promoting international criminal justice.  

INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

New Members in the ICC Advisory Committee on Legal Texts

The ICC Advisory Committee on Legal Texts has six members and its three judicial members are elected every three years.  The ICC President announced the newly elected judicial members are Judge Chang-ho Chung, Judge Tomoko Akane, and Judge Gocha Lordkipanidze.  The Committee is responsible for making and reporting on amendment proposals to the Rules of Procedure and Evidence, the Elements of Crimes, and the Regulations of the Court. [May 20, 2022].

New initiative to strengthen the ICC’s civil society engagement

ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan announced that the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) is launching a new initiative to increase civil society’s role in the Office’s work.  This is in response to civil society asking the OTP for further opportunities to work in collaboration with the ICC.  The initiative includes roundtables with NGOs, guidance materials for engaging with victims, and increased field engagement with local civil society organizations.  The first roundtable is planned for this June. [May 13, 2022] 

ICC holds training for ICC Counsel

On April 25 and 26, the ICC held training sessions over two days for over 200 lawyers registered on the ICC List of Counsel.  The sessions included training on team management, legal team technical support, ethics and disciplinary proceedings, and participation of witnesses and victims.  Participants also received updates on current ICC cases and key legal issues. [May 5, 2022]

AFRICA

Republic of Senegal | ICC holds Regional Conference in Senegal

On May 23 to 25, the ICC, with cooperation of Senegal, hosted a regional conference with 190 attendees. Attendees included high level officials from both the ICC and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), as well as Senegal, Chad, and the Central African Republic.  The conference discussed building a stronger international criminal justice system and increasing cooperation between the ICC and states particularly from ECOWAS. [May 25, 2022]

Central African Republic | Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang

Attends opening of the Special Criminal Court of the Central African Republic

ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan announced the Office of the Prosecutor’s support of the Special Criminal Court of the Central African Republic after the opening of the first trial.  Prosecutor Khan emphasized the need for complementarity and cooperation between the ICC and national court systems.  Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang attended the opening trial and expressed the importance of building rule of law and that the ICC is a court of last resort. [May 11, 2022]

EUROPE

Ukraine | ICC deploys 42 investigators and forensic experts to Ukraine
On May 17, the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) deployed a 42 person investigation and forensics team to Ukraine.  The team will investigate crimes under the ICC’s jurisdiction and also help Ukrainian authorities.  This is the OTP’s largest field deployment, and was made possible through cooperation with the Netherlands. [May 17, 2022]

Revolving doors in the EU Commission: an overview from the European Ombudsman's inquiry

By: Guillermo Ferrer Hernáez, Junior Research Associate, PILPG-NL

As Max Weber said in  Politics as a Vocation, “some live for politics, and others live from politics.” There is nothing reproachable in earning money by working in political institutions. Nevertheless, in recent years the issue of “revolving doors,” which refers to the flow of politicians and public staff members between the public and the private sector, has led to growing concern because of the consequences this has on the transparency and accountability of European Union institutions.

On May 18, 2021, after several accusations of lack of transparency in the EU institutions, the European Ombudsman launched a wide-ranging inquiry into the European Commission's handling of staff revolving door cases. This blog will analyze the European Ombudsman's role in ensuring enhanced transparency and accountability in European institutions, looking at the issue of revolving doors. 

Legal framework regarding transparency 

EU law already contains provisions relating to the impartiality of the institutions of the European Union when exercising administrative functions, and allows for the creation of further provisions to achieve this objective. Article 399 TFEU establishes the obligation of the members of the European institutions to maintain professional secrecy, even after they have ceased to hold office. This provision, contained in one of the founding treaties of the EU,  provides the basis for protecting the integrity of the European institutions against conflicts of interest that may arise from the use of revolving doors. In addition, Article 41 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights underlines the importance of the right to good administration, which can be affected by the practice of revolving doors.

EU secondary legislation also addresses the issue of transparency and good administration. The EU Staff Regulations underline several provisions regarding how staff should proceed when leaving EU institutions and working for the private sector. The EU Staff Regulations oblige EU former civil servants to carry out their duties and conduct themselves solely with the interests of the Union in mind as established under Articles 16 and 17. In the performance of their new duties, former EU civil servants must not deal with matters in which they have any direct or indirect personal interest that might impair their independence. In addition, several EU institutions, such as the EU Commission, have established their own codes of conduct for staff, providing guidance on how to apply the EU Staff Regulations.

Even if these rules implement clear guidelines for protecting the integrity of the EU institutions and civil service, there is room for their  enforcement. For instance, there have been several occasions where European Union’s institutions have failed to address the issue of revolving doors.  One such example was where the former Head of the Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology was allowed leave to work for Vodafone, where he engaged in lobbying activities. 

The role of the EU Ombudsman in the issue of revolving doors

The European Ombudsman promotes good administration at the EU level by investigating complaints concerning EU institutions and organizations' maladministration and proactively looking into more significant systemic concerns. When the European Ombudsman determines that maladministration has occurred, her recommendations are sent to the institution or entity concerned, which has three months to respond to the European Ombudsman. If the institution rejects the recommendations, the European Ombudsman may submit a special report for consideration by the European Parliament. The European Parliament, in turn, can draft a report on the Ombudsman's special report to try to force the institution to change its behavior. 

The current revolving doors problem has caught the attention of the European Union's guardian of good administration, Emily O'Reilly. The European Ombudsman has played an active role in the revolving door phenomenon since former Commission President, José Manuel Barroso became the chairman of Goldman Sachs in 2015. The European Ombudsman already carried out a strategic inquiry between 2017 and 2019 to measure how the European Commission manages revolving door situations of its staff members. The report underlined that revolving doors may give rise to 1) conflicts of interest with the legitimate interests of the Commission; 2) the disclosure or misuse of confidential information; 3) former staff’s use of personal relationships with ex-colleagues for lobbying.

The EU Ombudsman's inquiry found that, even if the Commission generally complies with the rules governing EU staff and tries to avoid the issue of revolving doors, more can be done to enforce these rules effectively in a meaningful way, especially in the case of senior officials. As a result of this inquiry, O'Reilly made a series of suggestions to improve the implementation of these practices. 

The new inquiry to the EU Commission

Continued accusations by civil society organizations of new revolving doors cases prompted a new inquiry that started in 2020, looking more closely at how the Commission manages cases regarding a certain number of specific Commission departments, also known as directorates-generals (DGs). The Ombudsman has examined  documents related to 100 decisions adopted by the Commission in connection with applications for access to a new activity by former staff members of a designated set of DGs and services. The Ombudsman is currently waiting for the Commission to respond to certain questions regarding decisions on post-employment activities of former staff members.

The future of the consequences of the inquiry

In the words of the European Ombudsman, good management of the revolving doors issue is essential to maintain confidence in the EU institutions. Any perception that the rules are not being adequately applied risks creating doubts about whether the EU administration is acting entirely in the public interest. Therefore, although it is not yet possible to know the content of these investigations due to their confidential nature, it is likely that the inquiry will reveal potential conflicts of interest and make the necessary recommendations to put an end to these practices within the EU Commission.

April 2022

Monthly News Updates: Domestic Prosecution of International Crimes – April 2022

By: Pauline Pfaff, Junior Research Associate, PILPG-NL 

Several war crimes trials started in the month of April. This post provides an overview of the core developments worldwide regarding the domestic prosecution of international crimes.

EUROPE

Finland | Court acquits former Sierra Leonean rebel commander of war crimes

The court of Tempere, Finland, released its judgment in the case against Gibril Massaquoi, a former Sierra Leonean rebel commander. The court acquitted Massaquoi of all war crimes and crimes against humanity charges based on insufficient evidence. Massaquoi stood trial for crimes committed in Sierra Leone and Liberia between 1999 and 2003. [April 29, 2022]

Ukraine | State prosecutor prepares war crimes charges relating to the Bucha massacre

The Ukrainian state prosecutor announced plans to prepare charges against several members of the Russian military for war crimes committed in Bucha. Following the retreat of Russian troops from the city, Ukrainian authorities discovered the remains of more than 410 civilians, some of which showed signs of torture and execution. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense published the identities of ten Russian soldiers allegedly involved in the Bucha massacre. [April 28, 2022]

Bosnia and Herzegovina | Court charges former Bosniak political and military leaders with war crimes

The Bosnian state court indicted ten individuals for their alleged involvement in an attack on a Yugoslav People’s Army convoy on May 3, 1992 which killed eight individuals and injured 24. The attack occurred when the convoy attempted to retreat from Sarajevo under the escort of United Nations peacekeepers. Among the charged individuals are several former ministers and retired Bosnian army generals. [April 27, 2022]

Germany | Trial against Gambian national for crimes against humanity starts

The trial of a Gambian individual accused of committing crimes against humanity and murder commenced before a German court. The defendant allegedly belonged to the so-called “Junglers,” a death squad under the direct command of former Gambian authoritarian ruler Yahya Jammeh. The charged crimes include the murder of journalist Deyda Hydara in 2004. The trial is based on the principle of universal jurisdiction. [April 25, 2022]

Bosnia and Herzegovina | Court acquits four former members of the Sarajevo police force of war crimes charges

The Bosnian state court acquitted Dragan Vikic, the former police chief of Sarajevo, and three co-defendants of war crimes. The prosecution indicted the four defendants for the murder of eight Yugoslav People’s Army prisoners in the early days of the siege of Sarajevo in April 1992 and the failure to punish the direct perpetrators. The judgment may be appealed. [April 21, 2022]

Netherlands | Appeal hearings in Ethiopian war crimes case conclude

The Appeal Court of The Hague completed hearings in the case of Ethiopian-Dutch Eshetu Alemu after two weeks. In 2017, a first instance court convicted Alemu of war crimes committed during the so-called red terror in Ethiopia in 1978. The court sentenced him to life imprisonment. The underlying acts include 75 murders, six instances of torture, as well as 320 counts of arbitrary detentions which took place between February and December 1978. [April 18, 2022]

Netherlands | Court sentences Afghan national to 12 years imprisonment for war crimes

The District Court of The Hague sentenced Abdul Rafief to twelve years in prison after finding him guilty of war crimes under the principle of universal jurisdiction.  Rafief was a top commander at the infamous Pul-e-Charkhi prison in Kabul, Afghanistan, in the 1980s. The court found that while there, Rafief engaged in the inhumane and degrading treatment of political prisoners. [April 14, 2022]

Germany | Court charges suspect with war crimes in Syria

The German state prosecutor charged Moafak D. with war crimes before a Berlin court. In 2014, D. allegedly threw a grenade into a crowd of civilians waiting to receive food in Damascus, Syria. At least seven individuals lost their lives. D. is stateless and a former member of the Free Palestine Movement, the group that controlled the Yarmouk district of Damascus at the time.  [April 14, 2022]

Switzerland | Criminal proceedings start against company for plunder in Libya

The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland formally announced the start of criminal proceedings against the Swiss-based company Kolmar Group AG for pillage as a war crime.  The company allegedly procured smuggled gasoil from a Libyan state-owned company during the Libyan civil war from 2014 to 2015.  [April 13, 2022]

Ukraine | Prosecutor announces war crimes investigations into 500 Russian individuals

The Ukrainian state prosecutor announced investigations into the possible culpability of 500 Russian officials for war crimes. In the announcement, the prosecutor alleged that Russian individuals committed approximately 5,600 alleged war crimes on Ukrainian territory since the start of the Russian invasion earlier this year. [April 10, 2022]

Serbia | Court convicts former Bosnian Serb reservist policeman of torture

The Belgrade Higher Court found former Bosnian Serb reservist policeman Milorad Jovanovic guilty of torturing non-Serb civilians in the Sanski Most area in 1992.  The court sentenced Jovanovic to nine years’ imprisonment.  [April 8, 2022]

Germany | Former ministers file war crimes complaint against Russian individuals

Former minister of justice Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrberger and former minister of interior Gerhart Baum filed a criminal complaint against several Russian officials with the Federal Prosecutor’s Office. The aim of the complaint is to prompt a war crimes probe. Russian president Vladimir Putin is among the implicated individuals. [April 7, 2022]

AFRICA

Democratic Republic of Congo | Third war crimes trial starts

The military court opened the trial against seven former members of the Kamuina Nsapu militia. The defendants allegedly committed war crimes in the Kasai Central province in 2017. This is the third such trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [April 21, 2022]

Central African Republic | First trial of war crimes court postponed

The long-awaited hybrid Special Criminal Court opened its doors in the Central African Republic to adjudicate international crimes committed during the protracted armed conflict within the country. The defense lawyers boycotted the inaugural trial hearing to protest their unequal treatment. As a response, the court adjourned the hearing and will continue on April 25. The first case of the court pertains to the alleged killing of 46 civilians in the villages Koundjili and Lemouna by members of 3R rebel group in May 2019. [April 19, 2022]

THE AMERICAS

Colombia | First public admission of guilt for crimes against humanity and war crimes

Nine military officials and one civilian co-defendant admitted to having orchestrated the enforced disappearance and extrajudicial killing of 120 civilians as part of the so-called ‘false positives’. This marks the first public admission of guilt for crimes against humanity and war crimes before the Special Jurisdiction for Peace.  [April 27, 2022]

April 2022

Monthly News Updates: International Criminal Court News Updates – April 2022

By: Claire Kaula, Junior Research Associate, PILPG-NL

The ICC is increasing collaboration and cooperation. The ICC President visited the UN and Guinea-Bissau, the ICC Prosecutor visited Ukraine and Nigeria, and the Office of the Prosecutor is joining Eurojust to collect information for the Situation in Ukraine. 

INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

ICC President completes mission to United Nations in New York City

ICC President Judge Piotr Hofmański undertook a three-day mission to the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.  During his mission, Judge Hofmański met with many UN officials, discussed the ICC’s growing number of activities, and promoted universal support of the Rome Statute. [April 7, 2022]

EUROPE

Ukraine | Office of the Prosecutor partners with the Joint Investigation Team

The ICC Office of the Prosecutor announced its participation in the Joint Investigation Team with Ukraine, Lithuania, and Poland regarding international crimes.  This marks the first cooperation and collaboration between the ICC and Eurojust (a European Union Agency).  The partnership allows for better and more efficient ability to collect information needed for the investigation into the Situation in Ukraine. [April 25, 2022].

Ukraine | ICC Prosecutor visits Ukraine

Beginning on April 13, ICC Prosecutor Karim AA Khan visited Ukraine to strengthen cooperation and engagement in the investigation into the Situation in Ukraine.  While there, he met with Ukraine’s Prosecutor-General Iryna Venediktova, visited the crime scene in Bucha saying there are “reasonable grounds to believe that crimes within the jurisdiction of the ICC are being committed,” and met with survivors in Borodyanka. [April 16, 2022]

United Kingdom | UK contributes £70,000 to the Trust Fund for Victims

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland made a £70,000 voluntary contribution to the Trust Fund for Victims (TFV).  This contribution will specifically be used for victims of conflict relating to sexual and gender-based violence.  The TFV welcomed the contribution, and the UK reaffirmed their strong support of the ICC. [April 4, 2022] 

THE AMERICAS

Venezuela | Venezuela requests deferral of investigation, ICC Prosecutor requests resumption

Venezuela requested that the ICC Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) defer its investigation into the Situation in Venezuela under Article 18(2) of the Rome Statute.  Venezuela claims they are investigating the Situation domestically.  However, ICC Prosecutor Karim AA Khan claims there is no new information demonstrating this.  The Prosecutor has notified and requested that the Pre-Trial Chamber authorizes the OTP to resume the investigation. [April 21, 2022]

AFRICA

Nigeria | ICC Prosecutor visits Nigeria

The ICC Prosecutor Karim AA Khan concluded his first official visit to Nigeria.  The visit was conducted to discuss the preliminary examination into the Situation in Nigeria completed in 2020.  At that time, former ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda concluded there were reasonable grounds that crimes against humanity and war crimes occurred.  The visit established cooperation between Nigeria and the ICC for any future investigation. [April 22, 2022]

Republic of Guinea-Bissau | ICC President visits Guinea-Bissau

ICC President, Judge Piotr Hofmański visited Guinea-Bissau and met with Umaro Sissoco Embaló, President of Guinea-Bissau, and other government officials to encourage ratification of the Rome Statute.  Judge Hofmański also visited the European Union Delegation in Guinea-Bissau. [April 21, 2022]

Sudan | Mr. Abd-Al-Rahman’s trial opens

On April 5, the case The Prosecutor v. Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman opened before ICC Trial Chamber I.  Mr. Abd-Al-Rahman was charged with 31 crimes against humanity and war crimes, and he pled not-guilty to all.  ICC Prosecutor Karim AA Khan and ICC Senior Trial Lawyer Julian Nicholls made opening statements, followed by remarks from the Legal Representatives of Victims.  Prosecutor Khan emphasized the gender-based violence and crimes committed against children in this case and the ICC’s purpose to provide justice by this trial. [April 5, 2022]