On 28 April 2026, the Nuhanovic Foundation and Utrecht University hosted the third and final Justice Dialogue of the campaign Justice: From War to Democracy and Freedom at the Johanna Hudig Building in Utrecht.
The event brought together survivors, legal professionals, policymakers, civil society organisations, and students to address a question that sits at the heart of our work: what role can the Netherlands play in prosecuting international crimes — and how can governments, lawyers, NGOs, and academia better work together to make justice real for survivors?
Panel 1 | The Hasna A. Verdict: Slavery as a Crime Against Humanity
The first panel, conducted in Dutch, focused on the landmark conviction in the Hasna A. case — the first Dutch prosecution for crimes committed against the Yazidi community. Speakers reflected on the significance of the verdict for affected communities, the role of civil society organisations in supporting survivors through litigation, and the investigative challenges involved in prosecuting crimes of this nature. The panel brought together a Yazidi survivor, the Nuhanovic Foundation’s director, a police officer from the Team International Crimes of the Dutch National Police, and victim’s counsel — offering perspectives from across the chain of accountability.
Panel 2 | International Justice from a Dutch National Perspective
The second panel, conducted in English, turned to the broader question of the Netherlands’ national approach to international justice. Drawing on the ongoing Shildon case and the Syrian context, speakers examined the use and limits of universal jurisdiction, existing accountability gaps, and the conditions needed for stronger cross-sector collaboration. The panel included a Syrian survivor, the Public Prosecutor’s Office for International Crimes, and an academic perspective from Utrecht University — reflecting the range of actors whose work shapes whether justice reaches those most affected.
Closing the campaign
Justice Beyond Borders marked the closing of Justice: From War to Democracy and Freedom, a campaign that has sought to demonstrate — through Justice Dialogues, Justice Journeys, and Legal Network Justice Talks — that justice for survivors of international crimes is not only an international obligation but a national responsibility.
The dialogue reaffirmed a conviction that has guided this campaign from the outset: there can be no sustainable peace without truth, and no justice without listening to those who survived.
We are grateful to our partner Utrecht University — the Utrecht Montaigne Centre for Rule of Law and Administration of Justice and the Research Platform on Peace, Security and Human Rights — for making this event possible, and to everyone who joined us and contributed to the discussion.
