On 22 September, The Nuhanovic Foundation launched its campaign Justice: From War to Democracy and Freedom with the first event in our new Justice Dialogue series. Held at the IDFA Documentary Pavilion in Amsterdam, the evening brought together survivors, lawyers, and international justice experts to explore how peace must be built on accountability.
The public session featured an exclusive screening of The Cranes Call, a powerful documentary following Solomiia Stasiv and Anya Neistat as they gather evidence of Russian war crimes in Ukraine. The film focuses on their work in bringing perpetrators to trial under the principle of universal jurisdiction, a strategy already producing results with the first cases having been filed. The screening was followed by a discussion with Anya Neistat, President of Interjust, exploring the chain of command, responsibility, universal jurisdiction, and the persistent gaps that too often leave survivors without justice.
The public session was preceded by a closed-door meeting for members of the Foundation’s Ukraine Legal Network, bringing together Ukrainian survivors, lawyers, and international justice experts. Participants shared practical insights on advancing accountability through universal jurisdiction, starting with smaller, targeted cases before expanding to more complex claims. Discussions explored the challenges of enforcing Ukrainian judgments in European courts, the barriers posed by state immunity, and the potential of commercial court judgments as alternative pathways. The importance of meticulous case preparation and well-documented evidence also emerged as a key lesson, with concrete recommendations to consult law firms, develop training sessions, and identify precedents to strengthen future filings.
This event marks the first step in a broader campaign. On 10 December 2025 (International Human Rights Day), we will host the second Justice Dialogue focused on the Dutch airstrike in Hawija, Iraq, and the universal struggle to uphold human rights. In this Dialogue, we will reflect on the long-term consequences of the Hawija airstrike and what it tells us about the universality of human rights. Together with survivors, lawyers, and experts, we will explore questions of accountability, recognition, and reparation — and what it means for human rights when war devastates the lives of ordinary families. We request you to save the date for this event, and stay tuned for updates about the event.
Alongside this, the first profile from our Justice Journeys series, featuring Ukrainian survivor Hanna Vorosheva, is now live, with three more to follow between now and December. These portraits reveal the strength and resilience of survivors, and invite the public to reflect on the meaning of justice.
We sincerely thank everyone who participated and made this event a success, and we hope to
