Commission for International Justice and Accountability
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Commission for International Justice and Accountability

The Commission for International Justice and Accountability (CIJA) is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation dedicated to conducting criminal investigations and analysing evidence gathered during armed conflict. Working together with government and civil society, CIJA provides support for local capacity building, war crimes and counterterrorism prosecutions, and countering violent extremism (CVE).

 

Commission for International Justice and Accountability


The Commission for International Justice and Accountability (CIJA) is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation dedicated to furthering criminal justice efforts through investigations, in order to prevent the loss and destruction of vital evidence for the purpose of supporting prosecutorial efforts to end impunity, whether at the domestic or international level.

CIJA’s aim is to expand opportunities to achieve justice for a broad range of crimes that impact vulnerable populations across the globe, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, terrorism, human trafficking, and migrant smuggling.

To achieve this goal:

  • CIJA gathers evidence of crimes that are beyond the reach of international and domestic justice institutions. CIJA places an emphasis on evidence linking specific perpetrators to these crimes.

  • CIJA builds local capacity to collect evidence in accordance with criminal justice standards and works closely with local actors in pursuit of evidence.

  • CIJA preserves and analyses evidence in order to provide evidentiary and analytical support to international and domestic criminal justice institutions pursing accountability through investigations, prosecutions, and trials.

CIJA’s work has expanded from its initial efforts to collect and preserve evidence of potential crimes committed in Syria to include both short-term capacity building and longer-term investigations in cooperation with local authorities and/or affected communities in multiple countries.

CIJA is apolitical and carries out its investigative activities independently of any government.

CIJA currently works to support prosecutions in 13 countries and assists 37 law enforcement and counter-terrorism organisations globally.

CIJA’s evidence, analysis and testimony have already supported completed and ongoing cases including:

  • Colvin v Syrian Arab Republic in the USA, constituting the first case against the state of Syria for targeted killing of American journalist Marie Colvin;

  • Conviction in the Netherlands of Oussama Ashraf Akhlafa, constituting the first conviction within Europe of a former Da’esh fighter for war crimes;

  • Conviction in Germany of Zoher J., a former leader of an extremist armed group in Aleppo for the provision of material support to a terrorist organization;

  • Conviction in Germany of Eyad Al Gharib, a former Syrian secret service agent from Subdivision 40 of Branch 251 of the General Intelligence Directorate in Damascus, for 30 counts of crimes against humanity;

  • Conviction in Germany of Anwar Ruslan, the former Head of Investigations of Branch 251 of the Syrian General Intelligence Directorate for 52 counts crimes against humanity, including torture, murder, assault, in addition to several counts of rape and sexual assault;

  • Conviction in Germany of Mustafa A., a senior level member of pro-Assad militia Liwa al-Quds active in Al Nayrab Camp near Aleppo for complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity of torture, inhumane treatment and illegal deprivation of liberty;

  • Ongoing trial in Germany of Alaa M., a former medical professional for the Syrian Military Intelligence for his role in crimes against humanity – including sexual violence – committed in Military Hospital 608 in Homs, Syria.

  • Indictment of Mustafa M., in Germany of a suspected member of Da’esh for charges including membership of a foreign terrorist organization; war crimes of killing, taking hostage, torture, imposing sentences without due process; war crime of attempted killing; Murder; and the war crime of illegal appropriation of property.

CIJA has:

  • Completed 23 structural investigations and legal briefs identifying dozens of high-ranking Syrian Regime and Islamic State suspects;

  • Secured over 1,200,000 pages of documents generated by the parties within the Syrian regime and the Islamic State;

  • Interviewed over 3,000 witnesses including defectors, individuals with direct knowledge of perpetrating parties and their structures as well as victims.