Keeping the Promise of International Criminal Justice - prosecuting and adjudicating gender-based mass atrocity crimes in “non-territorial” States
(2021) LAGM01 20211Faculty of Law
Department of Law
- Abstract (Swedish)
- Konflikt är en grogrund för könsbaserat våld. Tidigare diskriminerande strukturer förstärks och mynnar ut i våld inom ramen för konflikten. I komplexa kontexter präglade av religiösa, etniska och/eller politiska slitningar förstärks vissa individers utsatthet. Under ISIS attack mot Sinjar-regionen i norra Irak utgjorde den religiösa minoritetsgruppen Yazidier måltavlan. Genom ett systematisk förfarande mördades Yazidiska män, och Yazidiska kvinnor och barn blev tillfånga-tagna och sålda som slavar inom ISIS för sex och tvångsarbete. De tvingades konvertera till Islam och leva efter ISIS strikta religiösa regler. Överlevare vittnar om att de blivit utsatta för grovt systematiskt våld och kränkningar.
Könsbaserat våld som är utfört i en... (More) - Konflikt är en grogrund för könsbaserat våld. Tidigare diskriminerande strukturer förstärks och mynnar ut i våld inom ramen för konflikten. I komplexa kontexter präglade av religiösa, etniska och/eller politiska slitningar förstärks vissa individers utsatthet. Under ISIS attack mot Sinjar-regionen i norra Irak utgjorde den religiösa minoritetsgruppen Yazidier måltavlan. Genom ett systematisk förfarande mördades Yazidiska män, och Yazidiska kvinnor och barn blev tillfånga-tagna och sålda som slavar inom ISIS för sex och tvångsarbete. De tvingades konvertera till Islam och leva efter ISIS strikta religiösa regler. Överlevare vittnar om att de blivit utsatta för grovt systematiskt våld och kränkningar.
Könsbaserat våld som är utfört i en specifik kontext kan utgöra folkmord, krigsbrott och/eller brott mot mänskligheten under den internationella straffrätten – så kallade folkrättsbrott. Lagfö-ring av dessa förövare, som begått brott så avskyvärda att de ”djupt skakar mänsklighetens samvete” och ”hotar freden, säkerheten och välståndet i världen” angår hela det internationella samfundet enligt parterna till Romstadgan för Internationella Brottmålsdomstolen. Trots det re-flekterar varken internationella eller nationella utredningar, åtal och domar utbredningen och omfattningen av de könsbaserade folkrättsbrotten. I fallet ISIS går många förövare straffria. Domstolar i länder där brotten begåtts saknar kapacitet att utreda och döma förövarna, och rätt-visa genom den Internationella Brottmålsdomstolen hindras på grund av avsaknad av jurisdiktion.
Nationella domstolar i ”icke-territoriella” länder, det vill säga länder på vars territorium brottet inte begåtts, placeras därför i framkant i bekämpandet av straffrihet för dessa förövare. Denna uppsats hävdar att Sverige spelar en viktig roll, och undersöker därför möjligheten för Sverige att utöva universell jurisdiktion över folkrättsbrott för att bekämpa straffrihet genom lagföring i Sverige under Lag (2014:406) om straff för folkmord, brott mot mänskligheten och krigsförbrytelser. Analysen fokuserar på könsbaserade brott mot mänskligheten, särskilt förföljelse, i relation till ett exempelfall, Taha Al J, som för närvarande prövas i tysk domstol.
Brott mot mänskligheten har aldrig tidigare dömts i svensk domstol. Detta, i kombination med den strukturella avsaknaden av rättslig uppmärksamhet mot könsbaserade folkrättsbrott både internationellt och nationellt, gör uppgiften komplex. Uppsatsen introducerar intersektionalitet som begrepp för att påvisa hur Yazidiska kvinnor inte blev utsatta i egenskap av Yazidier eller kvinnor, utan som Yazidiska kvinnor. Uppsatsen föreslår att svenska domstolar ska anamma en bred tolkningsmetod vid tolkning och tillämpning av paragrafer som rör könsbaserade brott mot mänskligheten. Uppsatsen påvisar hur en sådan tolkningsmetod, utan att stå i strid med legalitetsprincipen, bidrar till att motverka straffrihet för könsbaserade brott mot mänskligheten ge-nom att upptäcka, utreda, och lagföra dem i Sverige. (Less) - Abstract
- Conflict is a breeding ground for gender-based violence. Previous discriminatory structures are reinforced and often result in conflict-related gender-based violence. In complex contexts characterized by religious, ethnic and / or political frictions, the vulnerability of some individuals is exacerbated. During the ISIS attack in the Sinjar region in northern Iraq, the religious minority group Yazidis was made the target. Through a systematic modus operandi, Yazidi men were murdered, and Yazidi women and children were captured and sold as slaves within ISIS for sex and forced labour. They were forced to convert to Islam and live according to strict religious rules as interpreted by ISIS. Survivors testify that they have been subjected to... (More)
- Conflict is a breeding ground for gender-based violence. Previous discriminatory structures are reinforced and often result in conflict-related gender-based violence. In complex contexts characterized by religious, ethnic and / or political frictions, the vulnerability of some individuals is exacerbated. During the ISIS attack in the Sinjar region in northern Iraq, the religious minority group Yazidis was made the target. Through a systematic modus operandi, Yazidi men were murdered, and Yazidi women and children were captured and sold as slaves within ISIS for sex and forced labour. They were forced to convert to Islam and live according to strict religious rules as interpreted by ISIS. Survivors testify that they have been subjected to gross systematic violence and violations of their rights.
Gender-based violence committed in a specific context can constitute genocide, war crimes and / or crimes against humanity under International Criminal Law, so-called mass atrocity crimes. The prosecution of perpetrators, who have committed crimes so heinous that they "deeply shock the conscience of humanity" and "threaten peace, security and well-being in the world", is of concern to the international community as a whole according to the State parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Nevertheless, investigations, prosecutions and verdicts fail to reflect the prevalence and magnitude of gender-based mass atrocity crimes both internationally and nationally. In the case of ISIS, many perpetrators enjoy impunity. The States of commission do not have the capacity to investigate and convict the perpetrators, and justice through the International Criminal Court is hampered by a lack of jurisdiction.
National courts in "non-territorial" States, meaning on whose territory the crime has not been committed, are thus placed in the forefront in the fight against impunity for these perpetrators. This research claims that Sweden plays an important role, and therefore examines Sweden's ability to fight impunity by exercising universal jurisdiction over mass atrocity crimes and prosecute perpetrators under Act (2014:406) on criminal responsibility for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The analysis focuses on gender-based crimes against humanity, in particular persecution, in relation to an example case, Taha Al J, which is currently at trial in Germany.
Crimes against humanity have never been adjudicated in a Swedish court. This, paired with the structural lack of legal attention to gender-based mass atrocity crimes both internationally and nationally, makes it a thorny issue. This research introduces intersectionality as a concept to demonstrate how Yazidi women were not targeted as Yazidis or women, but as Yazidi women. The research proposes that Swedish courts should adopt an intersectional approach when interpreting and applying paragraphs concerning gender-based crimes against humanity. The re-search shows how such method of interpretation, without violating the principle of legality, would contribute to the global fight against impunity for gender-based crimes against humanity through acknowledging, investigating, prosecuting and ultimately adjudicating them in Swedish courts. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9056754
- author
- Kaikkonen, Elin LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- LAGM01 20211
- year
- 2021
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- International criminal law, Gender-based violence, Gender-based crimes, Crimes against humanity
- language
- English
- id
- 9056754
- date added to LUP
- 2021-06-21 15:53:10
- date last changed
- 2021-06-21 15:53:10
@misc{9056754,
abstract = {{Conflict is a breeding ground for gender-based violence. Previous discriminatory structures are reinforced and often result in conflict-related gender-based violence. In complex contexts characterized by religious, ethnic and / or political frictions, the vulnerability of some individuals is exacerbated. During the ISIS attack in the Sinjar region in northern Iraq, the religious minority group Yazidis was made the target. Through a systematic modus operandi, Yazidi men were murdered, and Yazidi women and children were captured and sold as slaves within ISIS for sex and forced labour. They were forced to convert to Islam and live according to strict religious rules as interpreted by ISIS. Survivors testify that they have been subjected to gross systematic violence and violations of their rights.
Gender-based violence committed in a specific context can constitute genocide, war crimes and / or crimes against humanity under International Criminal Law, so-called mass atrocity crimes. The prosecution of perpetrators, who have committed crimes so heinous that they "deeply shock the conscience of humanity" and "threaten peace, security and well-being in the world", is of concern to the international community as a whole according to the State parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Nevertheless, investigations, prosecutions and verdicts fail to reflect the prevalence and magnitude of gender-based mass atrocity crimes both internationally and nationally. In the case of ISIS, many perpetrators enjoy impunity. The States of commission do not have the capacity to investigate and convict the perpetrators, and justice through the International Criminal Court is hampered by a lack of jurisdiction.
National courts in "non-territorial" States, meaning on whose territory the crime has not been committed, are thus placed in the forefront in the fight against impunity for these perpetrators. This research claims that Sweden plays an important role, and therefore examines Sweden's ability to fight impunity by exercising universal jurisdiction over mass atrocity crimes and prosecute perpetrators under Act (2014:406) on criminal responsibility for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The analysis focuses on gender-based crimes against humanity, in particular persecution, in relation to an example case, Taha Al J, which is currently at trial in Germany.
Crimes against humanity have never been adjudicated in a Swedish court. This, paired with the structural lack of legal attention to gender-based mass atrocity crimes both internationally and nationally, makes it a thorny issue. This research introduces intersectionality as a concept to demonstrate how Yazidi women were not targeted as Yazidis or women, but as Yazidi women. The research proposes that Swedish courts should adopt an intersectional approach when interpreting and applying paragraphs concerning gender-based crimes against humanity. The re-search shows how such method of interpretation, without violating the principle of legality, would contribute to the global fight against impunity for gender-based crimes against humanity through acknowledging, investigating, prosecuting and ultimately adjudicating them in Swedish courts.}},
author = {{Kaikkonen, Elin}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Keeping the Promise of International Criminal Justice - prosecuting and adjudicating gender-based mass atrocity crimes in “non-territorial” States}},
year = {{2021}},
}