PhD Thesis

Title: Bringing Perpetrators of Enforced Disappearances to Justice: In the Shoes of the Prosecutors

PhD Supervisor: Paola Gaeta

Expected completion date: 2024

The aim of the thesis is to clarify elements of the crime of enforced disappearance. On the one hand, this would increase the chances to have more prosecutions; on the other hand, it would help to understand why the few prosecutions that have been carried out so far have not been successful. As a crime that always requires the involvement of multiple perpetrators who are temporarily and spatially displaced, the thesis aims to assess the possible forms of criminal liability for the persons involved. Specifically, the thesis explores which modes of liability could be applicable and how to apply certain criminal law principles (for instance the principles of legality and non-retroactivity) to perpetrators involved at different stages of an enforced disappearance. In this sense, the ultimate objective of the PhD research is to assist investigative authorities in investigating and prosecuting this crime and beyond, e.g. when confronted with offences with a characteristic of collective criminality.

Profile
 

Ana Srovin Coralli is a PhD candidate and a Teaching Assistant at the International Law Department at the Geneva Graduate Institute. In the past, Ana worked in different capacities with the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, the International Committee of the Red Cross and at swisspeace. She holds a Master's in International Law from the Geneva Graduate Institute and a Master in Law from the Faculty of Law of the University of Ljubljana.

Ana's areas of work include domestic and international criminal law, enforced disappearances, missing persons, international human rights law, public international law and transitional justice.
 

Research Interests
 

• International, transnational and domestic criminal law

• International responsibility of states and non-state actors 

• Enforced disappearances and missing persons 

• Criminal justice in transitional justice contexts 

• Sexual violence 

• Use of force

• Migrants
   

Academic Work Experience

Teaching Experience

• Teaching Assistant at the Geneva Graduate Institute
• Teaching Assistant at The Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights
• Speaker and organiser of a workshop at the ELSA Conference on International Humanitarian Law, held in Warsaw in March 2023            
• Guest Lecturer at the Swiss School for International Relations, Geneva

Research Experience

• Researcher in SNIS-funded multidisciplinary research project on the search for victims of enforced disappearance
• Research Assistant to Professor Ernest Petrič in the framework of his work for the International Law Commission 
• Team leader and researcher in EU-funded research project ‘Legislation and practice in handling waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) in Slovenia and other European countries'
   

OTHER WORK EXPERIENCES
 

• Missing Migrants Officer, International Committee of the Red Cross, Geneva 
• Intern, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva
• Consultant for EU-funded project ‘Increasing Accountability and Preventing Enforced Disappearances and Extrajudicial Killings in Mexico, Nepal, the Gambia and Beyond’, Basel 
• Associate Program Officer and Intern, Dealing with the Past Program, swisspeace, Basel 
   

Relevant Publications and Works
 

1. Research Handbook on War Crimes, to be published by Edward Elgar in 2024. Author of the chapter ‘Omission and War Crimes' and co-author of the chapter 'National Prosecution and Universal Criminal Jurisdiction' (under editorial review)
2. Questions of International Law. Zoom Out perspective on the topic ‘The Use of Universal Jurisdiction to Hold Accountable Perpetrators of Crimes under International Law: Sky is the Limit?’ (forthcoming May 2024)
3. Verfassungblog. Co-author of the post ‘A Duty to Rescue’ (2023)
4. Opinio Juris. Annual Symposium on Popular Culture and International Law, Co-author of the blogpost ‘“Guns for Hire”: Mandalorians’ “Status” in the Star Wars Universe’ (2023)
5. Opinio Juris. Author of the post ‘All Eyes on Switzerland: Enforced Disappearances in Belarus and the Application of the Principle of Non-Retroactivity’ (2023)
6. Missing Persons Project of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Author of the ‘Report on the Meeting of States and Other Stakeholders along the North/West African Migration Routes to Discuss a Joint Approach on Missing Migrants’ (2023)
7. EJIL! Talk. Co-author of the blogpost '»Failure« to Act of Mr Putin: Liability by Omission' (2023)
8. Opinio Juris. Author of the post ‘A Word on Criminal Omission and Its Prominence in International Criminal Law' (2022)
9. swisspeace. Co-author of the working paper 'The Search for Victims of Enforced Disappearance: A multidisciplinary exploration of current practices' (2022)
10. Dejusticia. Co-author of the article 'La búsqueda y la participación en los casos de víctimas de desaparición forzada: marco legal en Colombia y El Salvador' (2021)
11. Torture Journal. Co-author of the article ‘Who are they to say? Experiences and recognition of victimhood of enforced disappearance in Colombia and El Salvador’ (2021)
12. Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. Author of the working paper ‘Non-State Actors and Enforced Disappearances: Defining a Path Forward’ (2021)
13. swisspeace. Author of the study ‘Coordination between the search and criminal investigations concerning disappeared persons’ (2021)
14. Migration Policy Institute. Author of the article ‘Mexico's Search for Disappeared Migrants Has Evolved, but Challenges Remain’ (2021)
15. Völkerrechtsblog. Co-author of the post ‘The vicious cycle of impunity. Psychosocial consequences of disappearances in El Salvador’ (2020)
16. Legal practice, magazine for Slovenian professional legal community. Author of the article ‘On the implementation of the Guiding Principles for the Search for Disappeared Persons’ (2019)
17. International Law Blog, blog with fresh perspectives on international law. Co-author of the post ‘International Legal Obligations of States Concerning the Search for Missing Migrants: a Possible Way Forward’ (2019)
18. Responsibility to Protect in Theory and Practice Conference. Author of the article ‘R2P in Latin America: Are principles of sovereignty and non-intervention really standing in the way of R2P’s operationalization?’ (2019)
19. International Law Blog, blog with fresh perspectives on international law. Co-author of the post ‘Redefining Jus Cogens. An Insight Into the International Law Commission’s Discourse on Peremptory Norms of General International Law’ (2018)
20. Legal practice, magazine for Slovenian professional legal community. Co-author of the article ‘Recent discussion of the International Law Commission about the role of Peremptory Norms of General International Law (jus cogens)’ (2018)
21. Legal Practice, magazine for Slovenian professional legal community. Co-author of the article ‘Regulation of handling waste from electrical and electronic equipment: current changes and suggestions for improvement’ (2016)
22. Faculty of Law, University of Ljubljana. Co-author of the book ‘Regulation of handling waste from electrical and electronic equipment’ (2015)

Fellowships, Grants and Awards

2023-24 - Schindler Junior Scholar 2023-24, the University of Zurich
2022-24 - Geneva Graduate Institute scholarship recipient
2019 - Recipient of the award for the master thesis as one of the best Slovenian  theses on the United Nations’ field of work
2017-2018 - Recipient of the public scholarship Ad Futura for study abroad
2016-2018 - Recipient of the public scholarship for the talented students of Ljubljana
2015 - Recipient of the public scholarship for international mobility

AFILIATIONS
 

• IHEID
   

Link
 

• Personal page
  
   

Email