Dear Friend of HRNK and IBA,
We invite you to a Hearing in connection with an Inquiry on Crimes Against Humanity in North Korean Detention Centers that is being led by HRNK and the IBA. The Hearing, which will be held on March 4, 2022, from 09:00 to 17:30 (EST), will feature (1) in-person testimony from survivors of North Korean detention centers, and (2) expert testimony on command-and-control structures in the Kim regime, satellite images of detention centers, etc. The goal of the Hearing is to determine culpability for alleged crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute, ranging from actors at the highest level of the regime (i.e., Kim Jong-un), to low-level guards who carry out many of the worst human rights abuses.
Four renowned international jurists – who, together, have presided over the most consequential international criminal tribunals since the Nuremberg trials – will preside over the March 4th Hearing:
1. Navi Pillay (Chair) is a South African jurist and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. During her UN tenure, Judge Pillay appointed Justice Michael Kirby to conduct the landmark UN Commission of Inquiry (2014) on human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. She also served as President of the Rwanda Tribunal and as a judge on the International Criminal Court (ICC).
2. Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi served as the former President of the ICC and currently serves as the President of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC (2021-2023).
3. Wolfgang Schomburg served as Germany’s first judge on the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda Tribunals.
4. Dame Silvia Cartwright is the former Governor-General of New Zealand and served as an international judge on the Cambodia Tribunal.
The Hearing will be conducted in-person at HRNK’s home, the DACOR Bacon House, 1801 F Street, NW, Washington, DC, and virtually, via Zoom. Those participating in person will have to present a form of picture ID and proof of COVID vaccination in order to access the building. All participants are required to wear masks inside the building. For security reasons, login information will be shared with confirmed virtual participants the day prior to the event. Please click here to RSVP.
Thank you for your attention and kind consideration.
Sincerely,
Greg Scarlatoiu, Executive Director, HRNK
Michael Maya, Director, IBA-North America
