In early November 2024 we piloted our new Manual on Documenting Identity-based violence for the Sudanese context in a 3-day in-person training workshop held outside Sudan due to the ongoing conflict.
The manual, which is part of a series that follows the Countering Identity-based violence Manual published last year, focuses on the elements needed to establish three key international crimes: genocide, incitement to genocide and persecution as a crime against humanity. These specific crimes are relevant to the Sudanese context where there have been widespread reports of violence against civilians that are motivated on the basis of ethnicity.
The three crimes that are covered require evidence of specific intent based on discrimination, which are difficult to prove. Examples from relevant case law, particularly from the international criminal tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda are provided to show how the specific intent was established in other cases - either through direct evidence or the use of inferences. For example, the specific intention to destroy an ethnic group in whole or in part (for the crime of genocide) can be demonstrated by utterances or statements, by the existence of a plan, by the scale of atrocities or by demonstrating that there was systematic targeting of the group.
Participants found the manual and training workshop very useful, exploring issues and legal concepts that were new to them and critical to documenting the violence in Sudan:
"We still need more training: the last three days were eye-opening of things we were not aware. Training in-person is very good. This training added so much knowledge to us that we can use."
Rights for Peace will continue to work with and mentor lawyers and human rights defenders documenting international crimes, and crimes based on discrimination in particular. Exposing hate crimes is critical because they represent additional harm to victims, targeted groups and society. There is a need for the nature and extent of the harm to be first be acknowledged. This is the first step to reparation for victims and lays foundations for prevention and rebuilding social cohesion.
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