Khaled Nezzar case in Switzerland: only opportunity for justice for Algeria’s Black Decade heads to European Court of Human Rights |
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| | In July 2025, two plaintiffs in the Khaled Nezzar case lodged a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights. They are asking for recognition of the denial of justice they suffered as a result of the slowness of the Swiss investigation, which was finally closed after the death of the accused.
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Khaled Nezzar was arrested in Geneva on 22 October 2011, following a denunciation by our organization. After lengthy proceedings, on 28 August 2023, the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland filed an indictment against Khaled Nezzar for war crimes and crimes against humanity. On 28 December 2023, it was made public that Khaled Nezzar’s trial would take place between 17 June and 19 July 2024. However, two days later the defendant deceased.
In total, over the almost twelve years of procedure, five victims joined the case as plaintiffs. A year ago, three of them courageously told us their stories: |
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Mr. Khaled Nezzar, as Minister of Defence during the early years of the Algerian civil war (1992-2000), was one of the five members of the High Council of State, the military junta in power. This made him one of the key players in the conflict that opposed the Algerian government and various armed Islamist groups, leaving nearly 200,000 people dead or missing. |
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Former Jungler sentenced to over 67 years for torture |
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| | In August 2025, a US federal judge sentenced Michael Sang Correa to 810 months or 67.5 years in prison for torture committed in The Gambia in 2006. The case comes at an important moment for The Gambia’s transitional justice process. In 2021, the Gambian Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) concluded that former president Jammeh and 69 of his associates, including Mr. Correa, committed crimes against humanity in The Gambia. Most perpetrators have yet to be held accountable.
Read more on the case. | | |
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Thirtieth anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica: survivors are still searching for justice |
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| | TRIAL International’s Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina has been working on the improvement of the status of survivors of war crimes for 15 years by providing them with free legal aid before domestic and international bodies and mechanisms for the protection of human rights, and advocating legislative changes aimed at establishing justice for survivors of war crimes. Even though the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina ended exactly 30 years ago, all war crimes are still not prosecuted before the judiciary, and the perpetrators are inaccessible to the judicial authorities because they live outside Bosnia and Herzegovina. |
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Save the ICC and the rule of law! | In the past few weeks, reliable sources have indicated that the United States (US) plans to sanction the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Sanctions against the ICC would leave countless victims abandoned by obstructing a last resort to justice, weaponising the global financial system to choke the Court’s work, and entrenching double standards where power and politics dictate which survivors deserve justice.
TRIAL International, along with several other organizations, has called on states, civil society, academics, journalists, and all those committed to international justice and the rule of law to stand up and defend the ICC and organisations supporting its work. Read more. |
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····· Activities ········ |
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Launch of the Corporate Accountability Initiative (CAI)
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In conflict-affected countries, corporate actors in sectors such as extractives, forestry, agriculture and finance often rely on private security providers (PSPs), which, when poorly regulated, can fuel serious human rights and environmental abuses. To address this, ICoCA, TRIAL International and six CSOs have launched the Corporate Accountability Initiative (CAI).
Co-funded by the European Union, the CAI is led by civil society and rooted in local ownership. It supports organisations in documenting violations, pursues strategic litigation and advocates for stronger regulation across the DRC, Nigeria, Mozambique, Iraq, Colombia and Guatemala. |
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| | In August 2025, ICoCA, OEARSE RDC and TRIAL International held the CAI’s first training workshop in the DRC. Over three days, civil society representatives strengthened their skills in monitoring, documenting and reporting corporate-related crimes. Focusing on high-risk extractive industries, the workshop provided practical tools for holding corporate actors accountable. This was the first of six regional workshops planned across Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. | | |
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A Blind Spot in International Justice: The Overlooked Environmental Harm |
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| | In June 2025, over 40 international experts met in Geneva for a one-day consultation on investigating and prosecuting environmental international crimes. The outcome was clear: there is an urgent need for practical, multidisciplinary, and accessible Guidelines to support investigators, prosecutors, civil society actors, affected communities, and other frontline responders in addressing these crimes.
This project is a joint initiative of TRIAL International, Justice Rapid Response, the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, the School of Advanced Study, Physicians for Human Rights, and Source International. Read more. |
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····· TRIAL International in the media ········ |
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Support Us! International justice is increasingly underfunded, while conflict and human rights violations continue to rise. Nearly 70% of our funding is public and now under threat. Your support is decisive in ensuring that victims are not forgotten and that justice is the same for all. * | | | * Donations from Switzerland, the U.S., and many European countries are tax-deductible. More |
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