20th Anniversary Year 2018 ANNUAL REPORT
SEEKING JUSTICE SINCE 1998
JULY 1, 2017-JUNE 30, 2018
2018 YEAR IN REVIEW
CJA’S VISION IS A WORLD IN WHICH JUSTICE THRIVES-WHERE EVERY NATION HAS THE CAPACITY AND WILLINGNESS TO PROSECUTE HUMAN RIGHTS CRIMINALS AND ACHIEVE JUSTICE FOR THOSE MOST MARGINALIZED IN SOCIETY.
Dear Friends, A WORLD WHERE JUSTICE THRIVES
BEYOND THE HEADLINES-SHAPING JUSTICE. Dear Friends: In 2018, the Center for Justice and Accountability contributed to two historic decisions for justice and accountability. In November, the two most senior living members of the Khmer Rouge were found guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity. Ambassador David Scheffer said that the decision for Cambodia was akin to the Nuremberg judgment after World War II. CJA represents 145 Cambodian Americans in the multiple Khmer Rouge trials. In January, the District Court for the District of Columbia unsealed its decision holding that the Syrian regime, led by Bashar al Assad, is responsible for the murder of iconic journalist, Marie Colvin, who died in a missile attack while reporting on the brutal Siege of Homs in 2012. Judge Amy Berman Jackson held that her assassination was “outrageous.” This case was the first proving ground for war crimes committed by Syrian leaders and will, we hope, pave the path toward increasing accountability. Working with individual plaintiffs and survivor communities around the globe, CJA seeks to validate the quest of survivors to seek truth, justice and dignity in a court of law, and to vindicate the lives of victims who deserve judgments condemning the brutality they endured. The determination, resilience and grace of those with whom we work inspires us to always push forward. Thank you -- our clients, NGO and law firm partners, donors, and volunteers -- for being amazing, fierce and steadfast. Let’s lock arms once again, as we march into a future where justice thrives. Warmest wishes and deepest gratitude, C. Dixon Osburn
Executive Director Center for Justice & Accountability
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We will never catch all the torturers—but we will always catch some, and none of them will ever know who is next.
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- Gerald Gray, CJA Co-Founder
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LIBERIA
LUTHERAN CHURCH MASSACRE
Quest For Justice
LIBERIA
The Lutheran Church Massacre is considered one of the most deadly attacks against civilians in Liberia’s history. On the night of July 29, 1990, Liberian soldiers using guns and machetes murdered an estimated 600 unarmed men, women, and children in Monrovia’s Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church. The victims had come to the church-a Red Cross humanitarian shelterto seek refuge from escalating violence. Some, including our four clients, survived by hiding under piles of dead bodies until the soldiers departed. The Lutheran Church Massacre is considered one of the most horrific attacks on civilians during 14 years of fighting, which resulted in the deaths of over 200,000 people and the displacement of more than half the population.
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Our Case
On February 12, 2018, CJA and pro-bono co-counsel Debevoise & Plimpton, LLP, filed suit against Philadelphia-based Moses Thomas, the former commander of the Special Anti-Terrorist Unit in Liberia for his alleged role in the Lutheran Church Massacre.
In addition to CJA’s lawsuit against Moses Thomas, the U.S. government has prosecuted two Liberians for immigration fraud in connection with crimes committed during Liberia’s civil wars. Various E.U. courts are also considering criminal charges against other Liberian officials thanks to the leadership of CJA sister organizations, Civitas Maxima in Geneva and the Global Justice and Research Project in Monrovia. The transnational legal actions have created a singular moment in accountability for the atrocities committed in Liberia.
WHAT OUR CLIENTS ENDURED IS BEYOND COMPREHENSION AND THIS SUIT PRESENTS THEIR FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO SEE SOME FORM OF JUSTICE CARRIED OUT. - Nushin Sarkarati, CJA Senior Attorney
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TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE IN LIBERIA Call for a War Crimes Tribunal Gaining Traction
The call for a war crimes tribunal, as recommended by Liberia’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in 2009, is gaining traction. Liberia’s Council of Churches, Nobel Prize Winner, Leymah Gbowee, and thousands of Liberians are supporting the movement. In addition, in an open letter, 80 NGOs called on President Weah to heed growing demands for war crimes trials.
Renewed Hope
CJA has played a key role in supporting this grassroots movement. We hosted a workshop in San Francisco of Liberian and international war crimes experts to review possible legal options for Liberia. This was followed by a second series of strategic workshops in Monrovia, which we co-hosted. As Harper’s reporter Annie Hylton discovered, “And while dozens of Liberian civil-war survivors I spoke to may not live to see justice delivered, several told me that for the first time in recent memory, they feel hope.”
Liberia saw a change of government in 2018 and with it renewed hope for domestic accountability. Liberia has yet to hold a single person to account for civil-war-era atrocity crimes, but there is now reason to believe that justice and accountability may become a feature of Liberia’s future.
SYRIA COLVIN v. SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC
Accountability for #PressFreedom
SYRIA
This was the first major war crimes case brought against the Assad Regime, but not the last. The story of war reporter Marie Colvin’s remarkable life loomed large this year as the subject of two awardwinning films, Under The Wire and A Private War, Lindsey Hilsum’s noted biography, In Extremis, and extensive media coverage. In 2016, CJA filed Colvin v. Syrian Arab Republic on behalf of Marie’s family to hold the Assad regime responsible for Marie’s killing and to provide a window into the harrowing plight of the Syrian people and the dangers journalists face trying to report the truth. In January 2019, the
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District Court ruled that the Assad regime is responsible for her murder. Evidence collected by CJA detailed a sophisticated campaign developed by Assad’s inner circle to quell all opposition and neutralize any independent media. The evidence demonstrates how senior Syrian officials tracked Marie’s whereabouts by intercepting her broadcasts
from a secret media center in Homs and confirming their findings with local informants. Using this information, the regime launched a targeted rocket attack on her location, killing Marie and French photographer Rémi Ochlik, and wounding French reporter Edith Bouvier, British photographer Paul Conroy, and Syrian media activist Wael al-Omar.
WE ARE SEEKING TRUTH AND JUSTICE NOT JUST FOR HER, BUT FOR THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT SYRIANS TORTURED OR KILLED UNDER THE ASSAD DICTATORSHIP. - Cathleen Colvin, Marie Colvin’s sister
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We are grateful to Cat Colvin and her family for their courage and determination in bringing this case and for our partnership with the lawyers at Shearman & Sterling, LLP.
Marie Colvin
Momentum for Justice Continues to Build
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This was the first major war crimes case brought against the Assad Regime, but not the last. Momentum for justice continues to build. According to Matthew Heineman, director of A Private War, “For those of us who had the honor of meeting her while she was alive, and the many others who got to know her after she was gone through books and movies, this case brings a welcome degree of justice for Marie. It is my hope that the evidence collected during CJA’s six-year cross-continental investigation will continue to support other cases against members of the Assad Regime for crimes targeting the Syrian people.”
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We can and do make a difference in exposing the horrors of war and especially the atrocities that befall civilians. - Marie Colvin
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KHMER ROUGE TRIALS
CAMBODIA
Victory In
CAMBODIA
Senior Khmer Rouge leaders found guilty of crimes against humanity and genocide This was an important year for our 145 Cambodian-American clients, the Cambodian people, and for CJA. In a long-awaited judgment, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) in Case 002/2 found former Deputy Secretary of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, Nuon Chea, and former Head of State of Democratic Kampuchea, Khieu Samphan, guilty of crimes against humanity, including forced marriage and rape, genocide against the Vietnamese, and grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions. Nuon Chea was also separately convicted of genocide of the Muslim Cham. E.C.C.C. Chea & Samphan As reported in The Guardian, “David Scheffer, who was UN secretary general’s special expert on assistance to the Khmer Rouge trials and the former U.S. ambassador at large for war crimes issues, described the genocide verdict as ‘comparable, in Cambodia, to the Nuremberg judgment after World War Two.’”
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THE COURT UNEQUIVOCALLY ACKNOWLEDGED THIS IMPORTANT HISTORIC TRUTH AND THE SUFFERING OF THE VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS WHO HAVE BRAVELY CONTINUED TO SEEK ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE PAST FOUR DECADES.
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- Daniel McLaughlin, Senior Staff Attorney
“Today the world knows the truth...” An estimated 1.7 million Cambodians, out of a population of 7 million, died under the reign of the Khmer Rouge. Upon learning of the historic verdict, CJA client Sophany Bay who lost her children and some hundred family members to the Khmer Rouge said,
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Sophany Bay
Justice must move forward
Nuon Chea & Khieu Samphan have never taken responsibility for their acts. Today, the world knows the truth and they can no longer deny the terrible things they did to our country.
The ECCC is currently considering whether its remaining cases-003, 004 and 004/2-will proceed to trial. Commenting after the verdict, CJA Senior Attorney Daniel Mclaughlin said,
- Sophany Bay “What history has taught us time and again is that the real threat to lasting peace is the failure to achieve justice. For this reason, we believe it is vital that these final cases go forward, free of political
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interference, so that the Cambodian people can know justice for the crimes committed against them.”
CJA In Numbers SEEKING JUSTICE SINCE 1998
2018 ANNUAL REPORT
7 MILLION
145
CAMBODIAN-AMERICAN CLIENTS REPRESENTED BY CJA BEFORE THE ECCC
1 12
80
‘LIBERIANS RALLY FOR JUSTICE’ LIBERIAN OBSERVER
DOLLARS IN PRO BONO LEGAL SERVICES DONATED TO CJA CASES
NGOs CALLING ON LIBERIA’S PRESIDENT WEAH TO ESTABLISH A WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL
THE NEW YORK TIMES
FACEBOOK FOLLOWERS
TWITTER FOLLOWERS ‘A BOLD IDEA FOR JUSTICE’ HUFFINGTON POST
CJA PRESS RELEASE
Headlines
‘US COURT FINDS ASSAD REGIME LIABLE FOR MARIE COLVIN’S DEATH IN SYRIA’ THE GUARDIAN
GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATIONS FOR A PRIVATE WAR ABOUT THE LIFE OF MARIE COLVIN
INTERNSHIPS PROVIDED IN HUMAN RIGHTS LAW, NGO COMMUNICATIONS & DEVELOPMENT
‘HISTORIC WAR CRIMES CONFERENCE IN LIBERIA BRINGS JUSTICE A BIG STEP CLOSER’
‘KHMER ROUGE’S SLAUGHTER IN CAMBODIA IS RULED A GENOCIDE’
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15 7,352 3,019
BEATIFICATION OF OSCAR ROMERO, WHOSE ASSASSIN CJA HELD TO ACCOUNT
COUNTRIES WITH CURRENT CJA INVESTIGATIONS
JULY 1, 2017-JUNE 30, 2018
‘76 GROUPS SEEK JUSTICE FOR WAR CRIMES’ AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
‘THE KHMER ROUGE TRIBUNAL MUST BE ALLOWED TO FINISH ITS WORK’ THE CAMBODIA DAILY
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‘Justice’ is our 2018 Word of the Year - Merriam-Webster Dictionary
CHANGE MAKERS
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Awards CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2018 AWARD WINNERS
Events HASSAN BILITY JUDITH LEE STRONACH AWARD
20th Anniversary Gala
We kicked off our 20th year with a memorable anniversary gala at San Francisco’s famed Julia Morgan Ballroom. It was a moment to reflect on past successes and future challenges, capped with a wonderful live performance by concert violist and human rights activist, Artem Kolesov.
CJA Premierers
Supporters hosted CJA’s first major European film screening and live panel broadcast of the documentary film Under the Wire about Marie Colvin followed by a panel discussion. CJA also spoke at conferences in half a dozen countries.
Presenting Around the Globe
MINTZ GROUP PARTNER IN JUSTICE
This year’s CJA staff presented our work in Amsterdam, Berkeley, Bogota, Budapest, Claremont, Geneva, the Hague, Halifax, London, Monrovia, New York, Nuremberg, Odesa, Paris, San Francisco, Stanford, Toronto, and Washington D.C.
to continue “to doIitswantworkCJAontoabemuchablelarger scale, until we don’t have to do that work anymore.
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- Farah Brelvi, Chair, CJA Board
AMBASSADOR DAVID SCHEFFER CHAMPION OF JUSTICE
Justice Circle Donors One circle. Three tiers. Eight levels.
The Justice Circle is an engaged community of donors who support CJA’s mission to achieve justice and accountability for victims and survivors of atrocity crimes. In addition to supporting CJA financially, Justice Circle members are invited to special briefings and other events that help grow our global human rights community. Donors below are from July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018. Please forgive us if we have made any unintended oversight.
Gold Donors Anonymous Oak Philanthropy (UK) Limited
Silver Donors Firedoll Foundation Robert Flynn Rochelle & Warren King Maja Kristin Jack Londen & Kathleen Blamey James Mintz & Deborah Stewart
Bronze Donors
Anonymous
Hegardt Foundation Jacob Blaustein Institute For The Advancement Of Human Rights and The Leo Nevas Family Foundation
The A.M. Fund Medea Benjamin Farah Brelvi & David Ball Mary Patricia Davis & Wesley Callender Larry Lefkowitz Mina Titi Liu & Eric Rosenblum Kathleen McFeeters The Mintz Group, Inc. Morrison & Foerster Stewart R. Mott Foundation Beth Van Schaack & Brent Lang Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Dentons, LLP First Republic Bank Keker & Van Nest Joan Haratani Joey & Lucy Neugart Planethood Foundation Kathy Roberts & Aaron Loeb Samuel Rubin Foundation
Anonymous Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy Ruth Ford and Richard Owens Michelle and Brett Galloway Jerry Gray & Colleen Higa Patricia Goudvis
Ajay Krishnan and Annie Redding Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein, LLP Minami Tamaki LLP Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP William and Sally Neukom
Florence and Paul Roberts Jane Rocamora Carlos Siderman Ralph Steinhardt and Donna Scarboro Luke and Kassie Stone
Tom Swift Wilma Wallace Hon. Rebecca Westerfield & Ivy Fine World Justice Project Lee and Peggy Zeigler
William & Seema Aceves David & Christine Balabanian Clara Basile Almudena Bernabeu & Nico van Aelstyn Raymond Bonner Billy ‘Bo’ Boughton Shehnaz & Waseem Brelvi Cathleen ‘Cat’ Colvin Dominican Sisters of San Rafael Robyn & Richie Ebers Louise & Jim Eisenbrandt Elizabeth Farnsworth Tyler Giannini & Ang Thilatham Jennifer Glaudemans
Margaret Gotuaco Susan & Gary Halling Phyllis Hatfield Frederick Hertz & Randolf Langenbach Foley Hoag LLP Lorraine Honig David & Pamela Hornik Howard Schreier Fund Rosey Jencks and William Eisenstein Scott & Lisa Keogh William Kissinger Karen Knudson & Terri Tachovsky John Kuo
Tim Lane Maria and Steve Lans Daniel Lewis Carey Lifschultz Sarah Lowe & Holly Draginis Terri Marsh Patamar Capital Paulette Meyer & David Friedman Andrea Neves Eileen O’Connor & John Bilotta C. Dixon Osburn & Jeremy Hodder Maria & Larry Roberts Nancy Rosenthal Paul Sack Betty & Jack Schafer
Dr. William Schulz & Rev. Beth Graham Caroline L. Scullin Lukas Siwula Donald P. Sullivan & R. Steven Taylor Union Bank Marc Van Der Hout Philippe Villers Volkswagen Group of America, Inc Rev. William Wipfler Christopher Wolf Anna Yen Lai Ming Yeung Elizabeth A. Zitrin
To join the Justice Circle 2019, visit www.cja.org/justice-circle.
Join Our Pursuit For Justice GIVE. VOLUNTEER.
GET INVOLVED
ATTEND. ADVOCATE.
CJA’s work over the past 20 years shows that global justice is possible. Every voice counts. For more information on how to get involved, please visit our website at cja.org.
Monthly Donors
Thank you to the following monthly donors. Recurring
donations allow us to plan in advance and are very much
appreciated: Annie Beaulierer, Catherine R Cusic,
Elizabeth Demissie, Tasha Drew, H. Susan Freireich, Tim
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I do this work because of those moments where our clients get to testify in court, our clients actually get to hear that somebody is indeed responsible for these crimes. – Nushin Sarkarati, Senior Staff Attorney
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Lane, Margery Meadow, Chiseche Mibenge, Lynette
Parker, Caroline Scullin, and Nancy Spear.
Bitcoin: Twenty-first Century Giving
This October, we were happy to receive our first donation
in bitcoin, which we then spent in bitcoin to support our
work in Liberia. Please contact CJA about giving gifts of
stock, or if interested in planned giving.
Breaking News
CJA’S PNHR GREW 30% OVER 2018!
PNHR
Professional Network for Human Rights
PNHR organizes monthly meetings and networking events, as well as wellattended panel discussions and movie screenings on topics ranging from Liberia and migration, to bitcoin and genocide. Membership is free, with an expectation of support for fundraising efforts. To learn more or to apply, please contact us at pnhr@cja.org.
Finacials BASED ON FIGURES FOR
GROWING TOGETHER FOR JUSTICE
JULY 1, 2017-JUNE 30, 2018
In-Kind Contributions*** $7,159,612 66% Individual and Corporate Contributions $2,400,415 22.1%
OPERATING REVENUES*
Foundation Grants** $1,210,510 11.2% Investment and Miscellaneous Income $60,211 0.6% UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture $20,000 0.2% Total Operating Revenues $10,850,748
OPERATING EXPENSES*
Program $8,298,962 94.3% Fundraising $287,369 3.3% Administration $211,504 2.4% Total Operating Expenses $8,797,835
$7M
Pro Bono
$6M $5M
TOTAL PRO BONO LEGAL AND OTHER SERVICES DONATED
$4M $3M
CJA partners with outside firms to investigate and litigate cases on behalf of its clients. With our pro bono partners’ help, our impact has seen a steady increase year after year.
$2M $1M 2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
*Based on audited figures for July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018. An audited financial statement is available upon request. **This figure includes $321,165 in temporarily restricted grants. **17 firms and individual attorneys provided over 10,000 hours of pro-bono services valued at $7,111,706. In addition, seven firms made contributions of $46,681 to cover out-of-pocket expenses. The total donated pro-bono legal and other services was $7,159,612.
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STAFF, BOARD, & MORE
Nobody stepped in, until CJA came along. - Chandra Nget, Khmer Rouge Survivor
Our Network of Human Rights Defenders STAFF
Dr. Gilat J. Bachar, Legal Fellow (September 2018 - July 2019) Carina Bentata, Legal Fellow (September 2018 - July 2019) Carmen Cheung, Legal Director Lisa Hammond, Finance & Operations Director Blake Johnson, Major Gifts Officer Dietlind Lerner, Director of Communications and Outreach Daniel McLaughlin, Senior Staff Attorney C. Dixon Osburn, Executive Director Jennifer Rasmussen, Director of Strategic Partnerships & Transitional Justice Kathy Roberts, Senior Legal Advisor Nushin Sarkarati, Senior Staff Attorney Susana Solis, Manager of Administration and Operations Cristina Yim, Development and Administration Coordinator
INTERNS
Elise Baker Olivia Bell Sara Birkenthal Mariah Hall Michael Hissey Quinten De Keersmaecker Jenna Klein Elzbieta Matthews Leah Paisner Valeria Pedroza Emily Rosendahl Meghna Sridhar
CONSULTANTS
Lisa Cohen, Communications Erik Nelson, Technical Ashley Poirier, Design & Social Media
GLOBAL ADVISORY COUNCIL
Chester Atkins Sandra Coliver Benjamin Cuellar Gerald Gray Jennifer M. Green Paul Hoffman Naomi Roht-Arriaza Steven M. Schneebaum Ralph G. Steinhardt Beth Van Schaack
BOARD
Farah Brelvi, Chair William Aceves, Vice Chair Robert Flynn, Treasurer Tyler Giannini Joan M. Haratani Rochelle King Ajay Krishnan Mina Titi Liu, Governance Chair C. Dixon Osburn, President & Executive Director Jane Rocamora, Audit Committee Chair Dr. William F. Schulz Caroline L. Scullin Beth Van Schaack
PNHR
MEMBERS OF CJA’S PROFESSIONAL NETWORK FOR HUMAN RIGHTS Sarah Abraham Jennifer Barnette Nithin Coca Holly Dranginis Erica Embree Marc Eshoo Victoria Hartanto, Co-chair Maya Karwande Lara Kline Rebecca Minkoff Steven Nam Gabrielle Parris Shannon Raj Emily Rosendahl Janisha Sabnani Kara Slack, Co-chair Erich Snow
PRO BONO LAW SCHOOL, LEGAL COUNSEL, & CONSULTANT SUPPORT
Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld Arnold & Porter Blank Rome LLP Cooley LLP Debevoise & Plimpton Dentons US LLP DLA Piper Edelman & Dicker Elser Foley Hoag Health Clinic (Beth Van Schaack) Health Program, Stanford University Hogan Lovells Human Rights Center, University of California, Berkeley Human Rights Centre, University of Essex Kluk Farber Law Morrison & Foerster Moskowitz Orrick Shearman & Sterling LLP The Human Rights in Trauma Mental The Mintz Group Sarah Hwang Stanford Human Rights and Mental Wilson Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC
IN-KIND & HUMAN RESOURCES
Acorn Winery Davis Family Vineyards Nicholson Ranch Winery
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WHERE WE WORK
BOSNIA
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
SYRIA HAITI
GUATEMALA EL SALVADOR COLOMBIA PERU
HONDURAS LIBERIA
SOMALIA CAMBODIA
CHILE
One Hallidie Plaza, Suite 406, San Francisco, CA 94102 (415) 544-0444 • cja.org