Crime, Perpetrators and those implicated in the conflict in Syria (1/3)

How to do Justice? Accountability for Mass Atrocities in Syria

Introduction:
- Cem Özdemir, Federal Chairman BÜNDNIS 90/DIE GRÜNEN

1. Panel: Perpetrators and those implicated in the conflict in Syria
with:
- Ambassador Andreas Krüger, Department on Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, German Foreign Office
- Lotte Leicht, Human Rights Watch (Brussels)
- Chris Woods, Airwars (London)

Moderation: Wolfgang Kaleck, ECCHR (Berlin)

About the event:
Deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure, indiscriminate bombings and the torture and execution of civilians are just some of the crimes committed by almost all conflict parties in Syria since 2011. Syrian activists have been documenting these crimes in order to one day bring those responsible to justice.

There is little prospect of accountability on an international level. The International Criminal Court is not an option as Syria is not a signatory to its statute and Russia is blocking a referral by the UN Security Council. With the principle of Universal Jurisdiction, however, there is a tool for third states to prosecute perpetrators domestically. Prosecutors in Germany and other EU countries are currently monitoring, investigating and prosecuting human rights related crimes in Syria.

Now, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) and the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung are bringing together survivors of torture and mass atrocities in Syria as well as Syrian lawyers, international activists and legal and political experts to discuss potential avenues for prosecution and the meaning of criminal accountability for the crimes committed in Syria.