Why Documenting War Crimes is Important for Justice and Prevention
Documenting war crimes is important for a number of reasons. For starters, it helps identify perpetrators and ensure that they are held accountable. Secondly, it helps reveal the scope of the crimes. While crimes committed by warring parties are often framed as acts of terrorism, identifying the perpetrators of mass atrocities is vital to ensuring justice and prevention.
Impunity
The importance of documenting war crimes cannot be overstated. In the past century alone, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed – and in some cases, millions. Yet the international community has largely failed to do its job and protect victims. It has sat on its hands while these mass murders occurred, doing nothing to hold the perpetrators accountable.
The Syrian conflict will likely be one of the most documented conflicts in history. Although a multi-level response to the conflict is welcome, there are challenges associated with documenting war crimes on a large scale. There is also a risk of over-documentation, especially when it comes to statements from victims. For instance, they may not be aware of who is recording their experiences, making it difficult to determine the truth of the statements they provide.
While it may seem counterintuitive, the ability to hold perpetrators accountable helps prevent future atrocities. It also contributes to reconciliation processes and peace consolidation efforts in post-conflict societies. The work of justice systems around the world has helped establish a culture of accountability, taught societies about human rights and influenced future generations.
Evidence of crimes
Evidence of war crimes is an important tool for the prevention of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and other crimes against humanity. Developing a global atrocity prevention strategy requires sustained efforts across many sectors of society. These efforts must be based on strong institutional and legal frameworks, the protection of human rights, and the elimination of corruption. In addition, these efforts must be supported by pluralistic media and a strong civil society.
There are several international courts that have jurisdiction over war crimes. For example, the International Criminal Court has jurisdiction over crimes committed in other countries. The court has jurisdiction over individuals in states that have accepted its jurisdiction. Ukraine has accepted jurisdiction over the International Criminal Court twice, which allows it to investigate specific cases relating to war crimes in Ukraine. However, the court can’t investigate Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in general.
The United Nations has a key role in preventing and responding to atrocities. By holding governments accountable, atrocities can be avoided. International bodies must work together to address the causes and consequences of atrocities and to help victims and survivors rebuild their lives.
Digital investigators
The growing importance of digital investigators documenting war crimes is increasingly being realized. While many have raised concerns about biases and unreliable work, these initiatives are also proving to be effective and efficient. The Berkeley Protocol on Digital Open Source Investigations was forged in response to a genuine need for professional standards and guidelines.
Documenting war crimes is critical for prevention and justice. It is a massive undertaking and requires a coordinated effort between different institutions. As an example, user-generated videos have already been used to secure the first guilty plea in the ICC, and they have also been used to secure trials in Sweden, Germany, and Finland. A recent case in the Netherlands included evidence from social media sites like Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.
The use of digital investigative work requires enhanced cybersecurity. Databases and portals must be monitored and their security needs to be improved continuously. The Ukrainian government has taken steps to protect web resources related to war crimes. According to Viktor Zhora, head of the Ukrainian State Service for Special Communication and Information Protection, these web resources are vulnerable to hackers and cyber attacks.
