January 2022

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

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

The first month of 2022 saw developments regarding the domestic prosecution of international crimes. Several courts issued decisions, and numerous individuals and groups filed complaints. Important developments occurred especially in relation to crimes by the Islamic State and the determination of the situation of the Uyghur minority in China.

EUROPE

Germany | Trial starts against female Foreign IS Fighter for aiding and abetting crimes against humanity

The Court in the city of Halle opened the trial of Leonora Messing, a German woman who travelled to Syria to join the Islamic State at the age of 15.  She allegedly aided and abetted crimes against humanity by enslaving a Yazidi woman together with her husband in 2015. [January 25, 2022]

Bosnia and Herzegovina | Court confirms indictment of former military commander for crimes against humanity in 1992

The Bosnian state court affirmed the indictment of former Bosnian Serb military commander Miodrag Nikacevic. The charges pertain to his involvement in crimes against humanity, especially persecution, committed against Bosniaks in the Foca area in 1992. [January 25, 2022]  

Bosnia and Herzegovina | Court acquits former police chief of illegal detention charges

The Bosnian state court acquitted Malko Koroman, a former Bosnian Serb police chief, of war crime charges based on the absence of a causal link between Koroman and the underlying acts. These acts include the unlawful detention, torture, and killing of Bosniak civilians in the Public Security Station in Pale during the war in 1992. [January 24, 2022]

France/Croatia | European Court of Human Rights finds that Croatia did not violate the rights of the accused during war crime trial

The European Court of Human Rights ruled that the Croatian authorities did not violate the rights of former police commander Vladimir Milankovic during his trial for war crimes and rejected his complaint.  In 2013, a Croatian court found Milankovic guilty, on the basis of command responsibility, of war crimes committed in 1991 and 1992 in the Sisak and Banovina area. [January 20, 2022]

Bosnia and Herzegovina | Court indicts former Bosnian Army soldier for war crimes

The Bosnian state court confirmed the indictment of former Bosnian Army soldiers Dzevad Avdicevic, Ahmed Hadzajlic, Muharem Efendic, and Izet Ikanovic.  The defendants allegedly engaged in war crimes in the Teocak area in 1993 by abusing and killing prisoners of war. [January 19, 2022]

Bosnia and Herzegovina | Court convicts former Bosnian Serb Army soldier of crimes against humanity

The Bosnian state court found Sabahudin ‘Sasa’ Kajdic guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced him to 12 years in prison in first instance.  Kajdic committed the acts of persecution, murder, and enforced disappearances of Bosniak civilians during his time as member of the Bosnian Serb Army in Prijedor in 1992.  [January 19, 2022]

Germany | Trial of Syrian doctor for crimes against humanity in military hospital starts

The trial of Alaa M., a Syrian doctor, for crimes against humanity started before Frankfurt’s higher regional court.  Alaa M. allegedly tortured and killed detainees while working in a military hospital in Damascus in 2011 and 2012.   [January 19, 2022]

United Kingdom | Metropolitan Police’s war crimes unit reviews war crimes allegations in relation to the disputed Kashmir region

Stoke White, a London-based law firm, filed an application seeking the arrest of two high ranking Indian officials, army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane and Home Affairs minister Amit Shah, based on their alleged roles in war crimes in the Kashmir region.  The allegations include torture, killings, and kidnappings of civilians, journalists, and activists.  The Metropolitan Police’s war crimes unit is reviewing the application. [January 19, 2022]

France | Torture claims against the new Interpol president

Three individuals filed criminal complaints with French authorities against the new Interpol president, Major General Ahmed Nasser al-Raisi.  Al-Raisi was allegedly involved in torture and arbitrary detentions in the United Arab Emirates.  [January 18, 2022]

Montenegro | Police arrests suspect who allegedly committed war crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992

The Montenegrin authorities arrested and charged Slobodan Curcic with committing war crimes. He allegedly killed, raped, and performed other sexual abuse on civilians in Foca, Bosnia and Herzegovina, during the war in 1992. [January 18, 2022]

Bosnia and Herzegovina | Court rejects indictment for crimes against humanity against suspect for the second time

The Bosnian state court rejected, for the second time, claims against wartime Serb official Milenko Stanic for taking part in a joint criminal enterprise to commit crimes against humanity.  The alleged underlying acts include murder, unlawful detention, torture, deportation, rape, and forcible disappearances of Bosniak civilians in the Vlasenica area between April 1992 and March 1993.  The court had already rejected an initial indictment against Stanic in November 2021 and has now noted that the new indictment was not amended as requested. [January 14, 2022]

Germany | Court sentences former security officer to life imprisonment for state-induced torture in Syria

The Koblenz district court convicted former high ranking Syrian security officer Anwar Raslan of crimes against humanity in the forms of murder, torture, deprivation of liberty, sexual violence, and taking of hostages.  Raslan travelled to Germany as a refugee and successfully sought asylum, where fellow Syrians recognized him as the operative director of the notorious Al-Khatib prison.  The case against Raslan was the first worldwide on state-sponsored torture in Syria.  [January 13, 2022]

Lithuania | Six Lithuanians file lawsuit against former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev for war crimes in 1991

Six Lithuanian individuals who lost relatives during the 1991 independence struggle filed a lawsuit against former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev for war crimes.  A Lithuanian court convicted several former Soviet officials of war crimes in 2019.  However, it refused to investigate Gorbachev.  [January 13, 2022]

Sweden/France | Swedish and French authorities launch joint task force to investigate Yazidi genocide

Swedish and French authorities established a joint task force to investigate and prosecute the atrocity crimes committed by the Islamic State against the Yazidi community.  The team will work within the Eurojust framework and aims at sharing information and evidence to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of investigations.  [January 7, 2022]

Bosnia and Herzegovina | Bosnian authorities charge former Bosnian Serb general for attack on Srebrenica in 1995

The Bosnian state prosecutor charged Milenko Zivanovic, a former Bonsian Serb General, with planning and directing attacks against Bosniak civilians in the areas of Srebrenica and Zepa in 1995.  Zivanovic further allegedly commanded military and police units responsible for the capture and illegal detention of thousands of male Bosniaks in the Srebrenica area. [January 4, 2022]

Sweden | Swedish prosecutor charges woman with war crime for enlisting her son as IS fighter

The Swedish prosecutor charged an unnamed woman with war crimes for allegedly allowing her son to fight as a child soldier for the Islamic State in Syria.  The woman and her son allegedly joined IS in 2013, when the child was 12 years old.  He remained with the group until May 2016 and allegedly took active part in hostilities.  The boy died in 2017. [January 4, 2022]

ASIA

China/France | Chinese leadership condemns French parliament resolution on genocide against the Uyghurs

The Chinese leadership issued a statement rejecting the French National Assembly’s allegation of genocide against the Uyghur Muslim minority. In its resolution, the National Assembly termed the treatment of members of the Uyghur minority by the Chinese authorities a genocide while acknowledging that a definite legal determination can only be based on a judicial investigation. Other countries, including the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Great Britain, and Belgium have taken a similar position to France in relation to the situation of the Uyghurs. [January 21, 2022]

Cambodia | Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia dismisses last genocide case

The Extraordinary Chambers in the Court of Cambodia dismissed the charges of genocide against Yim Tith, a businessman and former commander during the Pol Pot reign. The dismissal is based on a prior Supreme Court decision to terminate the case dated December 28, 2021, due to a lack of an enforceable indictment. The dismissal formally marks the end of ECCC prosecutions of Khmer Rouge atrocities. [January 4, 2022]

Turkey/China | Uyghurs file criminal complaint against Chinese officials for genocide and crimes against humanity before Turkish court

Nineteen members of the Uyghur Muslim ethnic group filed a criminal case against several Chinese individuals associated with state entities in Turkey.  The claimants allege that the officials committed crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity.  The underlying acts, which include torture and rape, allegedly took place in detention camps that Chinese authorities set up in 2016 to detain approximately one million Uyghurs.  The claimants chose Turkey as a venue for their case due to the presence of a large Uyghur diaspora community and close ethnic, religious, and linguistic ties with the country. [January 4, 2022]

THE AMERICAS

Guatemala | Court sentences five men to 30 years imprisonment for rape of indigenous women during civil war

A Guatemalan court sentenced five individuals to prison sentences of 30 years each for crimes against humanity committed during the Guatemalan civil war in the early 1980s.  The individuals are former paramilitary patrolmen and raped five Maya Achi women, some of which were only 12 years old at the time.  [January 25, 2022]

Guatemalan authorities filed the charges against these five former members of the Civil Self-Defence Patrols (PAC) in early January. The charges included allegations of the rape of 36 indigenous Mayan women over a five-year period during the 1980s civil war. The accused denied the charges. [January 7, 2022]

United States/Cuba | U.S. Department of Defense charges Guantanamo detainee with war crimes in relations to the Bali bombing and attack on JW Marriott hotel in 2002

The U.S. Department of Defense referred charges against Encep Nurjaman (fighter name Hambali), a former member of the Jemaah Islamiyah, an Indonesian extremist group. He allegedly committed war crimes by participating in the so-called Bali bombing in 2002 and the attack on the JW Marriot Hotel in Jakarta in 2003. Nurjaman has been detained in the Guantanamo Bay prison for the past 16 years. [January 13, 2022]

January 2022

Monthly News Updates: International Criminal Court – January 2022

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

In January, the ICC held a special session to open the 2022 judicial year.  The session reflected on the last 20 years of the Court’s work and discussed its work for the coming year.

INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

ICC opens the 2022 judicial year

On January 20, 2022 the ICC opened its 2022 judicial year with a special session.  In his opening speech Judge Piotr Hofmański said the session was to briefly commemorate what the Court has done, but most importantly to focus on what the Court will do in the new year.  Due to COVID-19 restrictions, most judges attended virtually, and the event was live streamed and recorded. [January, 20, 2022]

ICC Prosecutor addresses UN Security Council on the Situation in Darfur

Pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1593 (2005), ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan addressed the UN Security Council on the Situation in Darfur.  Prosecutor Khan discussed the progress the ICC has made.  This includes confirming 31 charges against Mr. Abd-Al-Rahman (also known as Ali Kushayb) and setting the trial to start April 2022.  The ICC is conducting outreach to ensure the Sudanese population can follow the trial.  The Office of the Prosecutor is also strengthening the cases against Mr. Al Bashir and Mr. Hussein, but it requires stronger cooperation from Sudan, the UN Security Council, and UN member states.  Prosecutor Khan ended by emphasizing the ICC’s “unwavering commitment” to honor the UN Security Council’s Resolution. [January 17, 2022]

The ICC’s venture in the Americas: Situation in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

By: Ana Luz Manzano Ortiz, Junior Research Associate, PILPG-NL

Over the years, the Americas has been a highly supportive region for the work of the International Criminal Court (ICC).  However, it was only this year that the Court paid its first visit to the region, with Prosecutor Mr. Karim Khan’s trip to Colombia and Venezuela on October 25, 2021.  During this visit, the Prosecutor announced an important decision for the future of international criminal justice in the region: the beginning of a formal investigation into the acts committed by President Nicolas Maduro’s Government in Venezuela.  This impactful decision raises a question: which are the crimes against humanity (CAH) that the ICC is paying attention to in the Venezuela, and why? 

Dictatorships and massacres in the Americas have resulted in an extensive history of human rights violations.  Human rights activists have been systematically persecuted for demanding justice, truth, and reconciliation.  Consequently, civil society organizations continuously call for the intervention of the ICC through their representatives at the Organization of American States (OAS).  However, the principle of non-intervention, the right of every sovereign state to conduct its affairs without outside interference, is strong in Latin American diplomacy, so Member States of the OAS are generally reluctant to make accusations against  each other.

Nevertheless, in 2017, the interest from the OAS’s Secretary General, Luis Almagro, into the Venezuelan political situation has opened the door for a group of Member States of the OAS to bring the first case of CAH in the Americas to the ICC.  Almagro appointed a Panel of Independent International Experts in September 2017 to analyze whether the presidency of Nicolás Maduro is responsible for the commission of CAH in Venezuela, and whether the situation should be referred to the ICC.  Since Venezuela withdrew from the OAS, Almagro has been advocating to sanction Maduro under the Inter-American Democratic Charter for the humanitarian crisis. 

In line with the findings of the Panel, on September 26, 2018, Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Chile, Paraguay, and Peru referred the case to the ICC under article 14 of the Rome Statute.  According to Fatou Bensouda, who was then the Prosecutor, this was the first time a group of states had jointly referred a case under this provision. 

According to observations by the ICC Office of the Prosecutor on the case, there have been found reasonable grounds to believe that civilian authorities, members of the armed forces, and pro-government individuals may be responsible for CAH, including imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty, torture, rape and/or other forms of sexual violence of comparable gravity, and persecution on political grounds. 

During his visit to the Americas, Mr. Khan met with Venezuela’s President, and they signed a Memorandum of Understanding.  The document declares that a formal investigation has been opened and that Venezuela, although disagreeing with the ongoing investigation, will cooperate with the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) to establish the administration of justice. 

Whether this agreement holds any good prospects of contributing to justice in Venezuela is yet to be seen.  The President has other interests in cooperating with the ICC, such as an investigation that he has referred to the ICC claiming the United States of America (USA) has committed CAH through the economic sanctions against his country.  So, there is a risk that Maduro’s cooperation with the ICC might end if the ICC does not proceed against the USA.

Additionally, Khan declared during the 20th session of the Assembly of States Parties to the ICC that the decision to work with Maduro is an example of his emphasis on supporting states' efforts to hold the perpetrators accountable for atrocities committed on their territories, given the ICC’s limited funding for this year.  The Prosecutor is investing in the principle of complementary — the idea that domestic courts should be the first responsible for dealing with violations of international criminal law — as mentioned in the memorandum with Venezuela.  Providing states with technical assistance to investigate CAH in their territories will be the main strategy for international criminal justice for the Court.

As of now, the reaction to the decision of investigating these alleged CAH in Venezuela has been positive: victims’ representatives have applauded the decision of the ICC to intervene, as it has raised their hopes in their long journey for justice. Nonetheless, and regardless of why these are the first CAH being formally investigated by the ICC in the region, other questions remain for the rest of the Americas. In particular, it remains to be seen whether other petitions for the ICC’s intervention in the Americas will be heard.

Witness Testimonies, a Worthwhile Exercise of Investigative Mechanisms?

By: Lilian Srour, Junior Research Associate, PILPG-NL 

The role of fact-finding missions, commissions of inquiry, and other investigative mechanisms in criminal proceedings is becoming increasingly relevant.  For example, the Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/ISIL (UNITAD) and the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism for Syria (IIIM) have explicit mandates to collect information and evidence for the purposes of potential accountability efforts.  Namely, criminal proceedings at the national, regional, and international levels.  Even though these investigative mechanisms are not prosecution offices or courts, their mandates have extended in scope.  This has resulted in an observable trend whereby these mechanisms are increasingly being called upon to determine whether crimes have taken place, visible through explicit mandates allowing for the examination of individual suspects.

Given that UNITAD and the IIIM continue to fulfil their respective mandates, this short piece reflects on the ability of states, like Germany, to use evidence provided by investigative mechanisms in criminal proceedings, in comparison with the International Criminal Court (ICC).  This piece considers Germany as it is the site of a recent landmark decision to convict a former IS member, Taha Al J., of genocide against the Yazidi religious minority.  Constrastingly, the ICC will be discussed, because the reliance on third-party findings, for instance, from investigative mechanisms, has often come under scrutiny at the ICC.  Focus will lie with witness testimonies because they represent both, the strongest and the weakest link in criminal proceedings.  Witness testimonies are simultaneously significant due to their utility in criminal proceedings and delicate due to the ability to tamper with witnesses, often coupled with their vulnerability.  

National successes

The evidentiary standards in Germany provide that, to open an investigation, sufficient factual indications for a crime are enough and do not require a specific type of evidence.  Furthermore, the competent investigating authority may consider all admissible evidence and designate its weight at its own discretion.  At the investigation stage, the prosecution may consider all forms of evidence so long as these are in line with the legal requirements and limitations.  At trial, the Court may rely on evidence provided by law, which are witnesses, experts, written materials, and visual inspections.  Here, judges are free to assess the probative value of evidence.  Generally, judges balance the importance of the case and the evidence against the gravity of the charge to determine the admissibility of evidence. 

In light of Germany’s long-standing support of UNITAD, its successful conviction of Taha Al J., and the fact that it is the site of several universal jurisdiction (UJ) trials, cooperation with these investigative mechanisms is highly significant for Germany.  Among other difficulties that accompany national prosecutions on the basis of UJ, the finding and accessing of relevant and credible evidence is a challenge.  In this regard, this landmark conviction has widely been regarded as a a positive development of international law in general, signaling that impunity for these international crimes, particularly genocide and crimes against humanity, will not stand. 

Germany’s permissive evidentiary standards and its willingness to prosecute international crimes stand to make the cooperation with and reliance on evidence, including witness testimonies, from investigative mechanisms a feasible practice.

International difficulties

At the international level, one can find the ICC’s rules on admissibility of evidence under the Rules of Procedure and Evidence.  Recently, there have been calls for the Court to clarify its approach to admissibility of evidence.  Seeing that investigative mechanisms are increasingly being created to respond to international crimes and violations of humanitarian and human rights law, arguably, the provision of reliable evidence, particularly witness testimonies, stands to complement international criminal proceedings.

Thus far, witness testimonies have represented a prevalent type of evidence in many cases of grave international crimes.  However, due to the undefined approach of the ICC in the admission of evidence, and practices aimed at interfering with witness testimonies, over time, the use of witness testimonies has encountered several challenges affecting due process, among others.  Furthermore, jurisprudence reveals that reliance on the findings of investigative mechanisms, including witness testimony, has been highly scrutinized, visible in Lubanga, Gbagbo, and more recently in the Bangladesh/Myanmar investigation. 

The difficulties associated with witness testimonies in general, coupled with criticisms relating to the reliance on evidence from such investigative mechanisms, stand to make the future use of such evidence by the ICC a difficult practice.  Nevertheless, over the years the limitations in relation to evidence collected by investigative mechanisms have become more widely addressed, for instance, in terms of methodology followed in evidence collection.  Considering that these new investigative mechanisms have the mandate to collect evidence, specifically, for the purpose of criminal proceedings, arguably, they stand to play a beneficial role.  That is through the provision of reliable evidence, such as witness testimonies, that is admissible under the Rome Statute. 

The way forward

Investigative mechanisms, like the IIIM and UNITAD, continue to collect evidence to this day with the hopes of using this to pursue criminal accountability.  These mechanisms represent a welcome innovation due to their ability to complement national and international proceedings by providing useful evidence and knowledge on relevant facts and circumstances about the crimes committed, for instance, in Syria.  This applies to all investigative mechanisms mandated to collect evidence on international crimes.  They represent an opportunity to effectively harmonize evidentiary standards and allocate resources to ensure that the evidence collected is usable in court and to avoid a duplication of efforts in the future.  This is even more relevant considering that the ICC has been encouraged to devise a more comprehensive approach to the admissibility of evidence. 

In relation to witness testimonies, investigative mechanisms stand to play a significant role due to the ability to decrease the time between the commission of crimes and the beginning of investigations and proceedings.  This contributes to the accuracy and credibility of evidence collected.  Having seen successes at the national level in UJ cases, these investigative mechanisms stand to play a significant role.  At the international level, a comprehensive approach to the admissibility of evidence could guide investigative mechanisms in their collection of evidence, allowing for an effective use of resources.  

December 2021

Monthly News Updates: International Criminal Court – December 2021

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

In December, the 20th Session of the Assembly of States Parties took place in The Hague and elected two new Deputy Prosecutors.  The ICC opened several public consultation opportunities, and support for the Trust Fund for Victims grew.

INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

Office of the Prosecutor begins public consultations on policy initiative to advance accountability for gender prosecution under the Rome Statute

The Office of the Prosecutor is working on a new policy initiative focused on advancing accountability for the crime against humanity of persecution on the grounds of gender under the Rome Statute.  This initiative is building on the Policy Paper on Sexual and Gender-Based Crimes released in June 2014 by the Office of the Prosecutor.  Currently, the initiative is in its early stages of deciding the substance, nature, and scope of the policy.  Comments can be sent to OTP.Policies@icc-cpi.int until March 18, 2022 by midnight Central European Time. [December, 20, 2021]

20th Session of the Assembly of States Parties elects two new Deputy Prosecutors

The 20th Session of the Assembly of States Parties elected Nazhat Shameen Khan of Fiji and Mame Mandiaye Niang of Senegal as the new ICC Deputy Prosecutors.  They will commence their term after current Deputy Prosecutor James Kirkpatrick Stewart completes his term on March 8, 2022.  This is the first deputy prosecutor election to use a due diligence process when selecting candidates. [December 10, 2021]

ICC President shares statement for Human Rights Day 2021

For Human Rights Day 2021, ICC President Judge Piotr Hofmański shared his thoughts on the everlasting importance of human rights.  He expressed that “[t]here can be no justice without respect for human rights - and, conversely, justice is essential to the protection of human rights.”  He also emphasized the ICC’s role in securing accountability for human rights violations, and the need for states to cooperate with the ICC. [December 10, 2021]

ICC begins consultations on Draft Strategy on Gender Equality and Workplace Culture   

The ICC released the Zero Draft Strategy on Gender Equality and Workplace Culture in response to gender equality and workplace culture challenges at the ICC.  The ICC has started consulting on the zero draft to further develop the Court-wide strategy.  The zero draft was circulated internally at the ICC and is being shared externally to all other interested stakeholders.  Comments can be sent to ICC.GenderEqualityFP@icc-cpi.int until March 9, 2022. [December 9, 2021]

Mr. Yoshimitsu Yamauchi appointed as Special Advisor on Mutual Assistance 

ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan appointed Mr. Yoshimitsu Yamauchi as Special Advisor on Mutual Legal Assistance.  Mr. Yamauchi is a Public Prosecutor in Japan who oversees all districts’ staff prosecutors on cases regarding organized crime and international criminal cases.  Mr. Yamauchi’s appointment aligns with Prosecutor Khan’s past appointments, which include experts from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds to help strengthen the Court's ability to discharge its mandate. [December 8, 2021]

20th Session of the Assembly of States Parties held December 6 to December 11

The 20th Session of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court was held in the Hague, The Netherlands between December 6 to December 11.  Meetings were held in-person and online due to COVID-19 restrictions.  PILPG closely followed the ASP and reported on the many side events held during the week.  All PILPG’s reports are available on the Lawyering Justice blog. [December 6-11, 2021]

ICC held first Asia-Pacific Regional Seminar of Judges on the Rome Statute and the International Criminal Court

The ICC and the Supreme Court of the Republic of Korea hosted its first Asia-Pacific Regional Seminar of Judges on the Rome Statute and the International Criminal Court.  The seminars included ICC judges as well as judicial officials from state parties and non-states parties to the Rome Statute.  The goal of the event was to increase cooperation, promote ratification of the Rome Statute, and increase dialogue among judges. [December 1, 2021]

AFRICA

Central African Republic | Pre-Trial Chamber II commits Mr. Said to trial

Pre-Trial Chamber II confirmed some charges against Mahamat Said Abdel Kani.  The Chamber confirmed the charges of Mr. Said being criminally responsible for crimes against humanity and war crimes between April 12, 2013 and August 30, 2013.  According to the Chamber, evidence shows that he was a Seleka coalition senior member.  However, the Chamber rejected the charges for crimes that occurred between mid-September 2013 and November 8, 2013.  For the charges confirmed, Mr. Said will face trial before an ICC Trial Chamber. [December 9, 2021]

EUROPE 

Germany | Germany contributes 110,000 euros to the Trust Fund for Victims

As a voluntary contribution for 2021, Germany pledged 110,000 euros to the Trust Fund for Victims.  The contribution is reserved specifically for the Trust Funds for Victims’ reparations mandate.  When making the pledge, Germany emphasized the importance of the work of the Trust Fund for Victims. [December 17, 2021]

Luxembourg | Luxembourg contributes 35,000 euros to the Trust Fund for Victims

In 2021, Luxembourg contributed 35,000 euros to the Trust Fund of Victims.  When making the contribution, Luxembourg emphasized the importance of victims receiving reparations in addition to having the right to an effective remedy.  Since 2005, Luxembourg regularly contributes to the Trust Fund for Victims. [December 17, 2021]

Iceland | Iceland makes its first contribution of 10,000 euros to the Trust Fund for Victims

In 2021, Iceland made its first voluntary contribution of 10,000 euros to the Trust Fund for Victims, and plans to continue contributing for the next three years.  The Director of the Trust Fund for Victims, Pieter de Baan, thanked Iceland and hopes this sends a message to other countries to make contributions. [December 13, 2021]