JURIST Contributing Editor David Crane of Syracuse University College of Law, former Chief Prosecutor for the UN Special Court for Sierra Leone, announces the launch of Impunity Watch, a new online monitor of human rights abuses worldwide ….

This op-ed was written with Cheryl G. Murphy, a 3L attending Syracuse University College of Law and a special features reporter for Impunity Watch.

Imagine if Anne Frank had had access to the internet — if others had been informed of her situation, help might have been sent her way before the Nazis had the chance to discover her hideout leading to her untimely death in a concentration camp. People in situations of oppression, whose fundamental human rights are being violated, might be able to tell others of their horrific situation and receive help if only given an outlet to do so. Impunity Watch, an interactive website which operates as a law review, message board, and blog has been created with the objective of giving a voice to people who are silenced — people like Anne Frank [1].

After observing firsthand the effects of the pillaging, mutilation and mass murder of civilians that occurred during Sierra Leone’s Civil War, the idea of developing the concept of Impunity Watch began to take shape. Impunity Watch informs people of human rights violations that are committed across the globe. It is hoped by reporting on and monitoring of various human rights abuses and impunity-related issues will create a global consciousness of these atrocities is critically needed [2]. Those who know of oppressive situations or who are oppressed themselves also will have the opportunity to voice these abuses on the website, leading to a greater awareness.

My biggest challenge in West Africa was indifference brought upon by an over- committed and war crimes weary international community looking elsewhere. West Africa is a forgotten “dark corner” of the world, ignored, and in some ways still forgotten. The past ten years have turned the region into a quagmire of pain and suffering beyond description.

It is that indifference that was faced there, and elsewhere, that must be addressed through awareness and understanding. In this day and age of the world-wide-web the ability to link atrocity, neglect, and despair directly into the daily lives of more privileged peoples and nations who have a capacity to do something, to care may be a catalyst for action. With this understanding and rising level of care, the indifference international tribunals, courts, and chambers encounter on the periphery of civilization may begin to wane. It is time that we use these technical tools so that we don’t hear right-minded citizens of the world muttering "had I only known."

As I traveled up-country in Sierra Leone, and elsewhere, I was always amazed that even in places that have no electricity and other basic services, small little internet cafés had sprung up in shacks. People stood patiently in line to sit down to link them to a different world. It is here where I thought how important it would be if these people had the ability to link to a site on the internet to warn, to talk about, to report an atrocity, war crime, a crime against humanity, even the beginning of a genocide. Impunity Watch began in my mind then. It is now a reality.

Impunity Watch’s mission is to monitor and address horrific human rights abuses and possible situations of impunity. Whether the atrocities committed are acts of discrimination, acts of human trafficking such as the forced labor or sexual exploitation of individuals, the denial of access to food and water, acts of genocide, or other violations of fundamental human rights, those who commit these inhumane acts should be held accountable and brought to justice and Impunity Watch will be in the forefront creating awareness of these tragedies [3].

Two years after my return from West Africa, on Thursday, October 11th, Impunity Watch will officially launch its website during a ceremony at Syracuse University College of Law where my friend and colleague, Dr. Henry T. King, Jr. will dedicate this new tool in the fight against impunity and indifference [4]. It is hoped that those of us associated with Impunity Watch will know it has made a difference when that first life is affected — when that person can have his or her thoughts and situation discovered by the world long before the world finds them scrawled into a diary. The spirit of Anne Frank will be with us that day.

Please visit Impunity Watch at: http://www.impunitywatch.net

Notes

1. Impunity Watch is completely run by students at Syracuse University College of Law. Approximately 40 students act as editors, researchers and reporters, devoting their time and effort toward informing others of human rights abuses being committed and ensuring worldwide awareness of those who receive impunity for their inhumane actions. Since Impunity Watch will be entirely paperless, all of the reporting and updates can be done at anytime of the day from anywhere in the world. This flexibility ensures that breaking news is continuously posted 24/7, keeping people up to date on the most current atrocities being committed.

2. Articles written by scholars, professionals, and students are also published on the website, bringing a more in-depth perspective to the abuses and instances of impunity that occur.

3. What does “impunity” mean? In a report presented to the Commission on Human Rights, impunity has been defined as the impossibility of bringing human rights violators to account arising from, among other things, a failure of States to meet their obligations to investigate, prosecute, and punish violators or from a failure of States to take necessary steps to prevent recurrence of violations.

4. Dr. Henry T. King, Jr., a prosecutor at the Nuremburg Trials, was assigned to prosecute the German General Staff and High Command at the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, 1945.

David M. Crane is a professor at Syracuse University College of Law, former founding Chief Prosecutor for the UN Special Court for Sierra Leone (2002-2005), and the founder of Impunity Watch.

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