TRIAL International

Remembering 44 years of the Hama massacre: On 2 February 1982, Syrian armed forces, including the Defense Brigades of Rifaat al-Assad, attacked the city of Hama to crush opponents of the regime. For a month, they massacred tens of thousands of people. Following a denunciation by TRIAL International in 2013, an investigation for war crimes and crimes against humanity was opened in Switzerland against Rifaat al-Assad. His recent death put an end to the proceedings. Our thoughts are with the survivors, who will never see justice for their suffering.

⚫ Today 44 years ago, saw the beginning of the Hama massacre by the Syrian army, including troops of Rifaat al-Assad. An investigation was opened in Switzerland against him in 2013. His recent death put an end to the proceedings. Our thoughts are with the survivors, who will never see justice.

The appeal trial against former interior minister of The Gambia for crimes against humanity will open on 30 March 2026.

📌 The appeal trial of Ousman Sonko, former Interior Minister of The Gambia, will open on 30 March 2026 before the Higher Appeals Chamber of the Swiss Federal Criminal Court.

For more information, read our Media advisory 👉 trialinternational.org/latest-post/...

Le verdict historique rendu à l'encontre d'un ancien ministre congolais met fin à des décennies d'impunité - TRIAL International Roger Lumbala est reconnu coupable de complicité de crimes contre l’Humanité Paris, France 15 décembre 2025 – La décision historique de condamner l’ancien ministre congolais Roger Lumbala marque un to...

🚨 Verdict historique dans l’affaire Roger Lumbala !

La cour d’assises de Paris l’a reconnu coupable de complicité de crimes contre l’humanité commis en RDC (2002–2003), en application de la compétence universelle.

Une avancée pour les survivant·es et la lutte contre l’impunité.

🔗 urlr.me/bc2hGs

🇨🇩 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐑𝐂 𝐠𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥

A mobile court in Kasai just opened a crimes-against-humanity case against five alleged Kamuina Nsapu members. With TRIAL’s support, 270 victims are now represented.

Learn more about our work in the DRC here: trialinternational.org/countries-po...

As a civil party, TRIAL International welcomes this ruling. It finally allows the trial to move past procedural challenges and toward the substance of the case. #UniversalJurisdiction

Judges found that prosecutors had correctly, back in 2021, that no #ICC proceedings and no valid #DRC extradition requests were pending. Later requests cannot undo that process.

📌⚖️ Important step forward in the Lumbala trial today.

The court has affirmed its jurisdiction, confirming that charges of #InternationalCrimes can be examined in #France.

📌 #Paris: The Lumbala trial opened last week with jury selection, contextual testimonies, and the defendant’s decision to stop appearing in court. #UniversalJurisdiction #DRC

📝 Read the summary ➡️ trialinternational.org/latest-post/...

📌 The Lumbala trial opened last week with jury selection, contextual testimonies, and the defendant’s decision to stop appearing in court.

📝 Read the summary ➡️ trialinternational.org/latest-post/...

🚨📢 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆: Roger Lumbala, on trial in France for complicity in crimes against humanity in the #DRC, has 𝐫𝐞𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 of the French courts to try him.

He also 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐞 to protest the trial. More information: trialinternational.org/latest-post/...

Their voices will be heard.

The court has ensured that a lawyer will continue to represent Lumbala’s legal interests, even in his absence.

#UniversalJurisdiction

The trial will go on: the civil parties who are travelling from the #DRC to testify will still have the opportunity to share their stories, and continue to place their trust in the French justice system and in the importance of this trial taking place. (2/3)

🚨 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆: At the opening of his trial before the Cour d’assises in #Paris, Roger Lumbala dismissed his lawyers and has refused to continue to appear in court. He had cooperated throughout the four-year investigation that led to the opening of this historic trial. (1/3)

🚨 #DRC The trial of Roger Lumbala begins today, at the #Paris cour d’assises. #UniversalJurisdiction

The trial will examine the acts of violence committed during the operation known as “Erasing the Board.”

📖 Read the Q&A we have prepared with our partners: trialinternational.org/latest-post/...

#DRC: 🚨 Roger Lumbala's trial opens in #Paris this Wednesday. Former leader of the RCD-N, he is being prosecuted for complicity in crimes against humanity. Together with our partners, we have prepared a Q&A to explain the significance of this trial 👇
trialinternational.org/latest-post/...

Criminaliser enfin la torture en Suisse, pour tous nous protéger - Le Temps CHRONIQUE. Alors que la Suisse a été impliquée dans la naissance de plusieurs conventions internationales les combattant, les actes de torture n’existent pas comme tels dans la législation. Une anomal...

➡️ La Commission des affaires juridiques du Conseil national suisse a décidé de ne pas classer pour l'instant l’avant-projet de loi fédérale sur l’inscription d’une norme spécifique sur la #torture dans le droit pénal et a décidé de poursuivre ses travaux. Explications👇
www.letemps.ch/opinions/chr...

The trial begins November 12. Follow along to help survivors demand justice that’s decades overdue.

As the civil parties alongside the survivors of Lumbala’s murder, torture, rape and enslavement campaign, TRIAL International, Clooney Foundation for Justice, Minority Rights Group, Justice Plus and PAP-RDC stand with them in their fight for justice on behalf of the countless victims of his crimes.

In the #DRC, decades of impunity must come to an end.

Next month, the trial of Roger Lumbala begins in Paris — the first time a Congolese national will be tried in a foreign court for mass atrocities committed in the DRC more than two decades ago.

trialinternational.org/latest-post/...

A Blind Spot in International Justice: The Overlooked Environmental Harm - TRIAL International More than 40 experts from around the world gathered in Geneva for a one-day Expert Consultation to discuss best practices and challenges in investigating and litigating environmental international cri...

🌍 On June 17, 40+ global experts met in Geneva to discuss how to investigate & litigate environmental international crimes.

The message was clear: we need practical, multidisciplinary & accessible guidelines. Well, they're here!

Read key insights: 👉 trialinternational.org/latest-post/...

📢 With the Global Initiative Against Impunity (#GIAI), we urge all ICC States Parties to stand firm and reaffirm their commitment to the Rome Statute, defend victims’ rights, and safeguard the hard-won norms of international justice.
@fidh-official.bsky.social @redress.org @4genderjustice.org

Sahel States’ ICC Withdrawal: A Step Back for Victims and Justice - TRIAL International The Global Initiative Against Impunity (GIAI)*, including FIDH, the CICC, REDRESS, TRIAL and WIGJ, condemns the announced withdrawals of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from the Rome Statute of the Inter...

Earlier this week, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have announced their withdrawal from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (#ICC).

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞.

Read our statement 👉 trialinternational.org/latest-post/...

Chiara Gabriele of @trialinternational.bsky.social underscores that "accountability is a central question", especially in addressing what we can do when everything goes wrong, when due diligence isn't implemented correctly or at all.

She emphasizes on ensuring victims' access to justice & remedies.

The GEN is at the #HRC60 side event, "Safeguarding Human Rights in Complex Environments", which will be addressing the use of military and security enterprises in protection, exploitation & conservation of natural resources. @trialinternational.bsky.social

▶️ trialinternational.org/latest-post/...

Slowness, alleged political interference mark Swiss record In Switzerland, justice on universal jurisdiction cases continues to go at a snail’s pace, despite the current attorney general’s promises to make them a priority.

🇨🇭 #Switzerland - Justice on #UniversalJurisdiction cases continues to go at a snail’s pace, despite the current attorney general’s promises to make them a priority.

www.justiceinfo.net/en/149594-sl...

Slowness, alleged political interference mark Swiss record In Switzerland, justice on universal jurisdiction cases continues to go at a snail’s pace, despite the current attorney general’s promises to make them a priority.

“We observed some positive signs” says Benoit Meystre, legal advisor at @trialinternational.bsky.social “that now the authorities are paying more attention to international crimes than before. But we initiated some cases where developments are still outstanding.”👇 www.justiceinfo.net/en/149594-sl...

After Michael Correa's arrest for overstaying his US visa, CJA & a coalition of NGOs, inc. the Alliance of Victim-Led Organisation members + @trialinternational.bsky.social, called for the US to investigate allegations of torture, which led to Correa’s indictment.

During the #CorreaTrialUSA, the Solo Sandeng Foundation, Stanford International Human Rights Clinic & the University of San Francisco School of Law provided daily trial updates. Catch up before sentencing this Friday, August 22. Trial monitoring ⬇️ solosandeng.org/correa-trial/

Michael Correa - TRIAL International Case of Michael Correa, former member of the "Junglers", found guilty of torture in The Gambia by a US jury under the US Torture Act.

📌 The sentencing hearing of former Jungler Michael Correa was scheduled for 22 August 2025 at the US District court in Denver, Colorado, USA.
Read our joint press release 👉 trialinternational.org/latest-post/...
Find out more about this case 👉 trialinternational.org/case/michael...

🚨🇨🇩 Proud to kick off the Corporate Accountability Initiative (CAI), funded by the EU, last week in the DRC with a 3-day training for CSOs on tackling corporate crimes, incl. abuses linked to #privatesecurity.

First of 6 workshops with TRIAL International, OARSE RDC & partners.