Lundin Oil and the Path to Justice

Civil Rights Defenders

Welcome to a seminar about the ongoing Lundin Oil trial and the access to redress for victims of core international crimes.

Medelhavsmuseet

Together with esteemed scholars, legal professionals, and stakeholders from South Sudan, we will examine the opportunities and shortcomings in the judicial system regarding access to redress for victims of core international crimes.The rights of victims to seek redress and compensation are a critical yet often overlooked aspect of war crimes trials. As we delve into the complexities of the ongoing Lundin Oil trial, we will explore the steps necessary to ensure that victims in similar legal proceedings receive redress for the suffering they have endured. What avenues exist for victims of core international crimes to seek redress? And what measures are needed to enable them to exercise this fundamental right?The groundbreaking Lundin Oil trial now taking place in Stockholm, Sweden, marks a significant moment in legal history. Two representatives of the former corporate entity Lundin Oil AB, Ian Lundin and Alexandre Schneiter, have been indicted with complicity in grave war crimes in what is now South Sudan. Such cases, involving high-ranking executives of international corporations facing prosecution for their roles in gross and systematic human rights violations, are exceptionally rare. These charges are the outcome of an extensive preliminary investigation initiated in 2010 after the prosecutor reviewed the report <a href="https://www.ecosonline.org/reports/2010/UNPAID_DEBT_fullreportweb.pdf" title="https://www.ecosonline.org/reports/2010/UNPAID_DEBT_fullreportweb.pdf" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Unpaid Debt</a>, primarily authored by PAX. According to the report, 12,000 people are reported to have been killed, and 160,000 displaced, as Sudan’s military and allied militia groups attacked villages and settlements to protect Lundin Oil’s operations. Read more about the case <a href="https://crd.org/2023/09/05/indicted-with-complicity-in-grave-war-crimes-today-the-trial-in-the-lundin-oil-case-begins-in-sweden/" title="https://crd.org/2023/09/05/indicted-with-complicity-in-grave-war-crimes-today-the-trial-in-the-lundin-oil-case-begins-in-sweden/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">here</a>.Despite the substantial number of victims, only 32 plaintiffs will have the chance to present their cases during the Lundin Oil trial, with the possibility of receiving redress for the harm they endured. This represents an obvious gap between the rights and rightful claims of victims, and the ability of national courts to deliver.The seminar will provide an opportunity to hear directly from individuals from South Sudan who were present and witnessed the events at the heart of this trial.<h3>Programme (tentative)</h3>12.30 - 13.00: Registration13.00 - 14:30: Panel 1 – The Lundin Oil TrialExploring the impact of Lundin Oil's operations on Block 5A and the enduring legacy of southern Sudan's oil wars. We will also look at what this historic trial means – for the victims, for Sweden, for South Sudan, and for international human rights. Panellists:<ul><li>Reverend James Ninrew Dong, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan and plaintiff in the Lundin trial.</li><li>George Tai Kuony; South Sudanese Lawyer, and Egebert Wesselink, Senior Adviser at PAX and author of the report “Unpaid Debt”.</li></ul>14:30 - 15:00: Presentation of Photo Exhibition and Coffee BreakOpportunity to explore a photo exhibition featuring images captured in Block 5A, depicting the conflict in South Sudan.15:00 - 16:30: Panel 2 – Victims and RedressExpanding the discussion from the ongoing Lundin Oil trial to address a perspective often overlooked, namely, the victims of core international crimes and their opportunities for redress. What opportunities exist today for war crime victims to seek redress? What are the shortcomings in the current Swedish and international judicial system, and what pathways are available for crime victims to fully enjoy their right to redress? Panellists:<ul><li>Fanny Holm; Juris Doctor, Scholar in International Criminal Law and Victim's Rights at Umeå University.</li><li>Selma Korjenic; Head of Program-Bosnia and Herzegovina, Trial International.</li></ul><ul><li>Ahmad Helmi; Co-founder and Manager of the Ta'afi Initiative.</li></ul>16:30 - 17:30: Mingle with beverages and light snacks .<h3>Organisers</h3>This seminar is a collaboration between <a href="https://crd.org/" title="https://crd.org/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Civil Rights Defenders</a>, <a href="https://globalide.se/" title="https://globalide.se/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Global Idé</a>, <a href="https://paxforpeace.nl/" title="https://paxforpeace.nl/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">PAX</a>, and <a href="https://swedwatch.org/" title="https://swedwatch.org/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Swedwatch</a>.

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