Protecting Mass Graves to advance Truth and Justice

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Following conflict and gross human rights violations, victims have a right to know what happened to their loved ones and a right to justice. Across the world mass graves, often containing a multitude of human remains, are sites of human loss, suffering and unimaginable acts of cruelty. There are compelling reasons for why mass graves need to be protected. They hold evidence that is important for the criminal investigations needed to bring perpetrators to justice. At the same time, the families of the dead have a need and right to know what happened to their loved ones. This requires identification and repatriation of the bodies. Despite guidelines for investigations of the missing, and legal obligations under international law, there is no coherent framework on how mass graves are legally protected and by whom. Nor is it clear what an effective investigation might entail. The consequences of not protecting and investigating mass graves are striking: survivors continue to suffer by not knowing what happened to their loved ones, which in itself constitutes inhumane and degrading treatment, and evidence to facilitate identifications and prosecutions might be lost. All too often, mass graves are disturbed and contaminated, compromising survivors' rights to truth and justice.This fellowship will address the current gap in law, policy and procedure by addressing the question of how best to protect mass graves to secure truth and justice for survivors. The fellowship does this by bringing together experts and stakeholders from the forensic sciences, criminal investigations, legal profession, NGOs, international organisations, security sector and survivor groups. Under the leadership of Dr Klinkner, and through a process of consultations and round-table discussions with these experts, mass grave protection guidelines will be developed and, once finalised, translated and disseminated to stakeholders. Involving practitioners as expert-participants in the process of creating realistic guidelines will help gather support for the guidelines and, crucially, operationalise the guidelines through the institutions they belong to, their networks and spheres of influence. Furthermore, the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) is a project partner to this fellowship and through its expertise in communicating with and holding events for stakeholders will help disseminate the guidelines. This will ensure that they reach the organisations and institutions that are concerned with mass graves and survivor populations across the world.Throughout the fellowship, Dr Klinkner, is supported by her institution Bournemouth University, a steering group, project partner ICMP and a research assistant. With her extensive expertise on mass graves, forensic evidence, international criminal law and transitional justice she will organise and direct the production, dissemination and validation of mass grave protection guidelines to help safeguard survivors' rights and advance justice needs.