Civil servants from Sweden, Germany, France, the UK, the Netherlands and other countries and organisations joined an expert meeting to discuss the possibility of establishing a tribunal or some other legal mechanism to prosecute people who fought for the terrorist group ISIS on the ground in Syria and Iraq.

Citizens from many European countries travelled to Syria and Iraq to join the terrorist group ISIS. The geographical distance to evidence and testimony constitutes a challenge for the Member States’ national legal systems to prosecute these individuals.

Administering justice in the region, said the presentation of the meeting, by means of a tribunal or some other legal mechanism, could complement national legal proceedings and contribute to accountability for the crimes committed during the conflict in Syria and Iraq.

This could ultimately lead to more convictions. The Swedish Government has therefore taken the initiative to, and will host, a meeting of civil servant experts to discuss possible ways forward. Representatives of Sweden Norway, Finland, Denmark, Austria, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland and the UK joined the meeting, as did representatives of the EU and UNITAD.