Victims and the ICC Alphabet Soup

Can victim’s participation to the International Criminal Court (ICC) remain a « nice feature » and could victims envisage in the future to see clarity in « the ICC Alphabet Soup » formed by the multiple victims « operators » - including the much criticized Trust Fund for Victims? These are some of the striking issues several experts and representatives at The Hague Court were invited to discuss in this new Asymmetrical Haircuts podcast, in light of the recommendations of the Independent Expert Review into the International Criminal Court. Beyond all, to Lorraine Smith van Lin there is « hope for improvement », knowing that « a lot of this weight in the hands of the judges ». 

Une famille ivoirienne regarde une retransmission télévisée de Laurent Gbagbo devant la Cour pénale internationale (CPI).
An Ivorian family follows the first hearing in the trial of Laurent Gbagbo in 2011. Until today, victims look up to the International Criminal Court as an inaccessible and distant object. © Issouf Sanogo / AFP
1 min 38Approximate reading time

To listen to the podcast, click on the "play" button below:

This time on the podcast we are joined by reparations expert Lorraine Smith van Lin. She organised a fascinating discussion at the end of last year about what the new Independent Expert Review into the International Criminal Court – which has hundreds of recommendations for how the court should change – will mean for victims. The ICC is the court where victims participate – they have their own representation inside the court room. And they get reparations – they have their own Trust Fund that should deliver after a judgement.

Co-organisers of the event with Tallawah Talks were: Redress, Avocats Sans Frontieres and Queen’s University Belfast.

In the podcast you get to hear from some of the most important people in and around the ICC dealing with and thinking about victims: Paolina Massidda, Principal Counsel, Independent Office of Public Counsel for Victims at the ICC; Joseph Akwenyu Manoba, Legal representative of victims, Ongwen case, ICC; Franziska Eckelmans, Legal Adviser and Deputy to the Executive Director, ICC Trust Fund for Victims; Philipp Ambach Chief, Victim Participation and Reparations Section, ICC Registry; Dr. Luke Moffett, Reparations Expert, Queen’s University Belfast

And Lorraine chose an important book for us all to look at. It’s And I Live On: The Resilience of Rwandan Genocide Survivors of Sexual Violence which features “searing testimonials” from Rwandan survivors of the genocide against the Tutsi 15 and 25 years after the horrific events of 1994, put together by IMPACT.

Janet, Lorraine (top right) and Stephanie (bottom right) again in the soundproofed supply closet.
Janet, Lorraine (top right) and Stephanie (bottom right) again in the soundproofed supply closet

Asymmetrical Haircuts podcastASYMMETRICAL HAIRCUTS

This podcast has been published as part of a partnership between JusticeInfo.net and Asymmetrical Haircuts, a podcast on international justice produced from The Hague by journalists Janet Anderson and Stephanie van den Berg, who retain full control and independence over the contents of the podcast.

All our articles about: