Thread by @PhilipGrant40

After the historic verdict rendered yesterday in 🇩🇪#Germany, it is essential to remember that such judgments do not pop out of nowhere. To get there you need to have:
➡️ A solid legal framework enacted by parliament
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https://twitter.com/ECCHRBerlin/status/1364522801823178752

➡️ Specialised #warcrimes units (investigators & prosecutors), endowed with sufficient resources
➡️ NGOs with the capacity to investigate, file complaints and/or support and represent victims
➡️ Courageous victims, sometimes ready to take significant risks as they step forward
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➡️ A procedure fully respecting the rights of the accused and a fair trial that will legitimise the process and the verdict, whatever the outcome.

With respect to the war crimes units, proactive approaches do yield results.
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Besides Germany, a pioneer especially on crimes committed in 🇸🇾#Syria, here are other examples:
➡️🇸🇪#Sweden: their international crimes unit brings together sixteen prosecutors, assisted by 15 officers of the war crimes unit of the national police!
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justiceinfo.net/en/73587-swede…

Results? There are currently, around 50 individual investigations are underway.

➡️ 🇫🇮#Finland has revolutionised its investigative methods and is even currently holding part of the hearings in the countries of 🇱🇷#Liberia and 🇸🇱#SierraLeone.
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justiceinfo.net/en/69083-unive…

➡️ The 🇳🇱#Netherlands and 🇫🇷#France, both with dozens of investigators, prosecutors and experts, dealing with particularly numerous and important investigations.

Many other countries are not doing their fair share of the work.
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theguardian.com/world/2021/jan…

For ex., even if 🇨🇭#Switzerland is currently holding a #UniversalJurisdiction trial (its 1st in 20 years!), the meager resources allocated to the Office of the Attorney General don't allow to complete numerous investigations opened following complaints by NGOs like @trial.
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