On 10th of December, the International Human Rights Day, The Nuhanovic Foundation hosted the second event in its campaign Justice: From War to Democracy and Freedom: Justice Dialogue 2: Hawija – How universal are human rights?
Held at De Balie in Amsterdam, the dialogue brought together survivors, legal experts, researchers, civil society actors, journalists, and the general public to reflect on accountability and access to justice for victims and survivors of the 2015 Dutch airstrike on the Iraqi city of Hawija.
The panel featured:
- Liesbeth Zegveld, human rights lawyer representing Hawija survivors in Dutch courts
- Alaa Abdel Qader, survivor of the airstrike
- Lauren Gould, researcher on remote warfare at Utrecht University
- Erin Bijl, Project Lead at PAX Protection of Civilians
- Jannie Schipper, investigative journalist
Together, the panellists examined the long-term consequences of the Hawija bombing and what it reveals about the universality of human rights in contemporary conflict.
A crucial dimension of the dialogue was the inclusion of survivors’ perspectives and experiences. Alaa Abdel Qader shared reflections on the impact of the airstrike on his family and community. “I was lucky because none of my family members died. I have a lot of problems (as a consequence of the bomb), but if you look at other people, many of them died. My son, who was 5 years old, was hit by iron in his eye and lost sight.” He also spoke about the significance of reparations for survivors, saying “I worked hard for years and a Dutch F16 took it all away…. The Netherlands should provide compensation not as charity, but because I lost it because of them.” His contributions grounded the discussions in the realities of those directly affected by military violence. Alaa’s story is explored in the latest profile as part of our Justice Journeys series.
The discussion unfolded as a shared reflection on justice, responsibility, and the human cost of war. Liesbeth Zegveld reflected on how Dutch courts can offer real, tangible paths to justice for Hawija survivors, particularly when international mechanisms fall short. Lauren Gould unpacked the hidden dynamics of remote warfare and the accountability gaps it creates, while Erin Bijl brought the focus back to civilian harm and the crucial role of civil society in documenting and addressing violations. Throughout the discussion, the importance of truth and transparency remained central, a theme powerfully echoed by Jannie Schipper in her reflections on the role of investigative journalism in uncovering facts and sustaining public attention on accountability.
This Justice Dialogue underscored that meaningful access to justice requires the convergence of several actors and stakeholders, including lawyers, researchers, academics, journalists, and most importantly, survivors themselves. Centering survivors’ voices within these processes remains essential to challenging impunity and strengthening the rule of law, and the Nuhanovic Foundation remains committed to supporting survivors of international crimes like Alaa in their fight for justice, accountability and reparation.
You can watch the full recording of the event on De Balie’s YouTube channel (in Dutch, with auto-translation to English available) by clicking here.
This event was organised as part of the Nuhanovic Foundation’s ongoing campaign Justice: From War to Democracy & Freedom, an initiative to showcase the lived experiences of survivors and their communities. Know more about our campaign and support our mission by clicking here.
