Justice Info, a media outlet of Fondation Hirondelle and an independent news site covering developments in justice initiatives in countries facing violence, published earlier this month an infographic providing an overview of all justice initiatives undertaken since the start of the Israeli government’s offensive in Gaza after October 7th, 2023. Thierry Cruvellier, Editor-in-Chief of Justice Info, explains the relevance of such a map.
Why did you choose to produce this infographic?
Thierry Cruvellier: In a situation where multiple justice initiatives are being activated at the same time, an infographic allows us to take stock of the situation in a relatively comprehensive and more accessible way. It is also a tool to clarify a judicial or quasi-judicial landscape that is highly diverse, in which various mechanisms operate both autonomously and, inevitably, interact with one another. This synthesis of information is useful and easier to read for our audience. Analysis and opinion give way to the simple, practical clarity of a justice map, which provides concise answers to the question: Who is doing what? It is also a useful and practical exercise for the editorial team. For example, it forces us to try to gather all available information on national initiatives targeting Israeli soldiers who may have committed war crimes.
Analysis and opinion give way to the simple, practical clarity of a justice map, which provides concise answers to the question: Who is doing what?
We must always verify the accuracy of each complaint and its legal status: has it been deemed legally acceptable, and therefore worth formally investigating by the national judicial system, or has it remained at the stage of a filed complaint, and therefore perhaps reflects political activism more than judicial action? It is quite difficult to be exhaustive in this area, as complaints may be filed in many countries without us being aware. So, for now, this is a snapshot taken at a specific moment that we can enrich or improve later.
How does this visual work help improve understanding of the complexity of international justice and its impact in this context?
Thierry Cruvellier: The primary purpose of a visualization is to allow readers to see, on a single map, the multiplicity of justice mechanisms being deployed for a given situation or crime. It enables them to quickly grasp where these mechanisms are located geographically and how they may overlap or interact.
Looking at this Gaza justice map, we immediately see that, for the moment, the most concrete and active universal jurisdiction proceedings and investigations against Israeli soldiers are overwhelmingly concentrated in Western Europe, with the addition of at least Canada and Brazil.
This will vividly illustrate how geopolitical shifts directly influence what is possible in the field of justice.
Another example is the case brought against Israel before the International Court of Justice, led by South Africa. It has often been described as an initiative from what is commonly referred to as the Global South. And the map shows that this is true, but not entirely, Spain and Ireland are also present. These examples can later be developed into all kinds of geopolitical analyses, including how these dynamics evolve over time.
If we republish this map in six months or a year, what will it look like? We will then be able to compare it to the one we published today. We will conduct the same exercise for Syria, and I believe it will produce an entirely new picture that we can compare with the map we published on the same subject in 2019. This will vividly illustrate how geopolitical shifts directly influence what is possible in the field of justice.