New Technologies and the Investigation of International Crimes

Koenig, Alexa; Irving, Emma; McDermott, Yvonne; Murray, Daragh

doi:10.1093/jicj/mqab040

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…The above-mentioned Task Force is led by the German Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt) and the International Crime Unit of the Dutch National Policy Office, with the support of Europol and its analysis initiative "Major International Crime" (Europol sets up OSINT taskforce..., 2023). The results of such studies can also be used in the future to create "detailed digital platforms" that help prosecutors, defence, judges, victims and the public better understand how each piece of visual evidence fits into, for example, a geographical space (Koenig et al, 2021). This is particularly important because, according to B.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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2024

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The relevance of this study is determined by the current instability of the global political climate in the world and the outbreak of a number of military conflicts, which necessitates the study of the mechanisms of activity of structures that protect the interests of the population and the state. Thus, the purpose of the paper is to analyse the algorithm for the activities of civil defence authorities, particularly in wartime conditions. Among the methods used are the methods of logical analysis, deduction, synthesis, induction, functional analysis, analogy. This study provides a detailed analysis of the importance and key role played by civil protection agencies in addressing the challenges of protecting, ensuring security and developing society. The importance of their function lies in the effective implementation of strategies aimed at protecting the population and the state in times of threat and danger. The analysis in this paper takes into account the various components necessary for the successful management of various types of warfare. This includes the study of effective strategies for interaction and coordination between civil protection authorities and military command and control. Particular attention is paid to the key factors that determine the effectiveness of the organisation of interaction between military authorities and protection commissioners. Similarly, significant was the analysis of the demand for the resolution of qualitative foresight implementation tasks. Accordingly, an algorithm that will provide a more detailed and relevant examination of the wartime operational algorithm of the governing bodies has been developed. The practical value of the obtained results is that it will increase the appropriate level of combat alertness, the guarantor of the protection of the national interests of the state and its population, its territorial integrity and will generally raise the level of effectiveness of the relevant bodies considered

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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2024

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“…Similarly, social media and surveillance technologies play a notable role in documenting violence, from cop watchers (Huey, Walby, and Doyle 2006) to non-governmental organizations recording alleged humanrights violations conducted by authoritarian regimes (Koenig et al 2021). Open-source information, initially the preserve of activist groups, is increasingly recognized as a legitimate tool for human rights and international criminal justice investigation (Murray, McDermott, and Koenig 2022, 555).…”

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Civilian Surveillance in the War in Ukraine: Mobilizing the Agency of the Observers of War

Hogue

2023

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The war in Ukraine sees local and foreign civilians play active roles in the conflict, mainly through the participatory gathering and sharing of intelligence and open-source investigations of alleged human rights violations and war crimes. These surveillance practices seen in the war in Ukraine are not novel. Vigilantism campaigns have normalized since the War on Terror, while open-source information is increasingly recognized as a legitimate tool for human rights and international criminal justice investigation. Yet, their importance in the war in Ukraine highlights the agentic power of civilian surveillance. The proliferation of digital technologies empowers civilians to become inevitable actors in all spheres of politics, including war. However, across these practices, I argue that the Ukrainian government and its Western allies harness this agency as operational and narrative weapons. Patriotism and morality are pushed forward to mobilize individuals to participate in the war despite the risks that vigilantes and open-source investigators have to assume: risks of retaliation by Russian forces and lost independence.

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Mapping the Use of Open Source Research in UN Human Rights Investigations

Murray

McDermott

Koenig³

2022

Journal of Human Rights Practice

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Open source information, particularly digital open source information that is publicly available on the internet, plays an increasingly central role in the landscape of human rights investigations. This article provides a thorough analysis of how open source information is used in practice by UN human rights fact-finding missions, commissions of inquiry and other official human rights investigations. Combining data from semi-structured interviews carried out with investigators with specific experience in open source human rights investigations with a review of reports and other primary and secondary sources, it examines the utility of open source information to UN human rights investigative bodies. It posits that open source research can offer tremendous benefits in planning investigations, supplying lead evidence, and providing direct evidence of violations, thereby overcoming some of the access barriers that investigators face, and potentially giving voice to a wider range of perspectives. On the other hand, this article argues that open source investigations should be approached with a clear eye to their challenges and possible pitfalls. These include the gaps of open source information and the potential to silence already-marginalized communities through open source investigations, as well as the resource-intensive nature of these investigations, the danger that open source information can affect witnesses’ perceptions, and the risks posed by online disinformation. As open source research is likely to comprise an important component of the human rights investigator’s toolbox in the future, this article argues in favour of the institutional buy-in, resourcing, and methodological rigour that it deserves.

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New Technologies and the Investigation of International Crimes

Cited by 5 publications

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Civilian Surveillance in the War in Ukraine: Mobilizing the Agency of the Observers of War

Mapping the Use of Open Source Research in UN Human Rights Investigations

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