Commission for International Justice and Accountability

What We Do

Learn about the CIJA Model. The Commission for International Justice and Accountability is the first and only NGO to conduct criminal investigations akin to the work of an international or domestic war crimes investigative unit.

What we do

 

The Commission for International Justice and Accountability is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to collecting evidence up to a criminal law standard for the express purpose of furthering criminal justice efforts to end impunity, whether at the domestic or international level.

CIJA applies international best practices in order to ensure that this evidence is admissible in court.

Investigation

CIJA interviews witnesses and gathers documents and other physical and digital evidence generated by perpetrator groups.

CIJA investigations focus on the collection of inculpatory and exculpatory material that can be used as evidence in criminal proceedings. CIJA team members have extensive experience in carrying out these investigations or have been trained and mentored by senior international experts. The ultimate aim of CIJA investigations is to support the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for these crimes. CIJA places a particular emphasis on evidence related to organisational and command structures that can assist in identifying those leaders of a group or criminal organisation that may order, direct or manage criminal activity. In all relevant instances, CIJA includes an examination of alleged sexual and gender-based crimes within the scope of investigations and subsequent analytical work.

Evidence preservation and management

CIJA utilises an evidence management system to scan, archive, preserve and manage materials that it collects to make available for use in future investigations and prosecutions.

CIJA investigators focus their collection efforts where hostilities have subsided to search facilities or areas that have been abandoned or destroyed and may contain evidence of crimes committed. In such instances, the field team first assesses the situation to ensure it is safe to collect the evidence. If the area is deemed safe, the team will collect all available material from the site and transport the material to a safe location for processing. Material is then scanned and registered in CIJA’s evidence management system, and the original material is placed in CIJA’s evidence archive. CIJA analysts work with digital copies of material. Original materials are archived in a safe location.

Assistance to justice actors

CIJA provides information, evidence and analysis to international and domestic justice actors in support of their ongoing investigations and prosecutions.

International Courts and Tribunals: International Courts and Tribunals have played important roles in accountability for international crimes since the end of the Second World War. These courts and tribunals often have a specific focus on particular international crimes in specific geographic areas. In situations where CIJA has collected information related to the crimes being investigated by these bodies, CIJA provides that evidence to the relevant court or tribunal.

Domestic law enforcement and prosecutorial authorities: International and transnational crimes involve numerous perpetrators across multiple countries. These suspects are often located in countries far removed from the conflict or criminality in which they were involved. In some instances, these countries are eager to prosecute those responsible for such crimes, either because the perpetrator is in their country, a victim of their crimes is a citizen or because the country has the legal structure to prosecute those responsible for certain crimes no matter where they occur. CIJA supports efforts to bring to justice suspects who are within the reach of domestic authorities willing and able to ensure those responsible for crimes do not enjoy safe haven in their new country of abode, while also respecting the rights of all those accused of crimes no matter the allegations against them.

Between April 2019 and March 2020 CIJA assisted 32 entities from 13 countries including national law enforcement agencies. In total, CIJA received 169 requests for assistance and provided information on 718 targets including 451 suspects.

Analysis and case building

CIJA analysts and lawyers review material collected from the field and produce analytical reports and case files in support of criminal justice efforts.

CIJA analysts and lawyers carry out rigorous analysis of all inculpatory and exculpatory evidence in its holdings concerning alleged crimes, the structure of responsible groups, and the role of individual perpetrators. CIJA teams produce analytical reports and briefs in order to assist CIJA’s criminal justice partners as they work to understand the often-complex structures as well as individuals associated with the criminality being investigated.

PUBLIC REPORTS

CIJA occasionally publishes public reports detailing segments of its evidence, analysis, case files or practises as part of its commitment to the right to truth of the affected communities we serve.

CIJA’s lawyers, analysts and outreach personnel develop public reports that address key aspects of the alleged crimes or structures of perpetrating entities. In doing so, it carefully balances the integrity of its investigations, confidentiality and security alongside the right to the truth of the affected communities we serve and the wider public. The documents used and cited are representative of CIJA’s wider evidence holdings and are sufficiently robust to release in public reports without endangering our teams, witnesses and ongoing cases pursued by CIJA or one of its 37 law enforcement partners. However, they are not exhaustive: documents will not be cited or referenced where they are highly sensitive, pose risks to CIJA personnel or witnesses or may jeopardise investigations or prosecutions, including where reference would reduce or jeopardise their probative value.

Capacity Building

CIJA provides capacity building to its team members and works with local partners to build their capacity to carry out these functions themselves over the longer term.

CIJA provides capacity building through training and mentoring to its team members and partner organisations. These activities cover a wide range of topics including evidence collection and management, witness interviewing skills, sexual and gender-based violence investigations, online investigations, all source analysis and complex case building. CIJA field teams receive direct support from senior team members on a regular basis and benefit from an ongoing capacity development program that builds on past skills.