In this second part of our conversation, Dr. Miranda Melcher continues speaking with Sandra Berty about her latest work on violence against mothers—an often overlooked but critical dimension of gender-based violence.

Sandra shares insights from her recent submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, explaining why violence against mothers must be recognized as a distinct legal category. She unpacks how conflict disproportionately impacts mothers, from forced caregiving roles to the long-term consequences of forced pregnancy.

The conversation also explores how legal frameworks evolve, why naming specific harms matters for justice and reparations, and what developments in international law—especially around sexual and reproductive rights—are shaping the future of accountability.

• What counts as violence against mothers
• Why legal definitions shape justice and reparations
• The concept of forced motherhood as continuous harm
• Gaps in current international legal frameworks
• The role of UN submissions and advocacy
• The significance of the Ongwen case at the ICC
• Emerging developments in sexual and reproductive health rights in international law
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• Violence against mothers is not fully captured under existing gender-based violence frameworks.
• Recognizing maternal-specific harm leads to more effective accountability and reparations.
• Forced pregnancy has lifelong physical, psychological, and economic consequences.
• Legal progress—especially in international criminal law—is opening new pathways for justice.
• There is growing momentum toward broader recognition of reproductive autonomy in conflict settings.

Sandra Berty – Legal professional working on gender-based violence and international justice, with a focus on conflict-related harms and reproductive rights.

Dr. Miranda Melcher – Senior Legal Fellow at Just Access

• UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls
• ICC Ongwen case (forced pregnancy and reproductive autonomy)
• Just Access Podcast – Part 1 with Sandra Bert
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If you believe in access to justice and human rights for all:

• Share this episode
• Leave a rating or review
• Reach out with suggestions: podcast@just-access.de
• Support the work: just-access.de/donate
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The Just Access Podcast explores how to make human rights meaningful and accessible for everyone. We believe: Everyone can be a Human Rights Defender.

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In this first part of our conversation, we speak with Sandra Berty, an international refugee law and gender-based violence specialist with more than a decade of experience working with UNHCR, UNICEF, IOM and the IRC across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the United States.

Sandra shares how her journey into this field began during law school, when she worked with women seeking asylum who had survived conflict-related sexual violence. That early experience shaped a career dedicated to supporting women and girls in displacement and emergency settings around the world.

Together, we explore:

• What gender-based violence has to do with access to justice
• Why justice often means far more than courts and legal systems
• The importance of naming violations, recognising harm and creating safe spaces
• How Sandra’s background in both law and sociology informs her work
• What it is really like to work in humanitarian responses in places such as Ukraine, Afghanistan and Cox’s Bazar
• Why small daily successes matter in long-term social change work
• Advice for anyone hoping to work in humanitarian or human rights fields

Sandra also offers an honest look at the realities of frontline humanitarian work, explaining why listening, humility and respect for local communities are essential.

This is an insightful conversation about justice, dignity and practical ways to support survivors of violence in some of the world’s most challenging contexts.

Listen now and subscribe so you don’t miss Part 2, where Sandra discusses her current legal work on violence against mothers and what all of us should be paying attention to next.

#JustAccess #HumanRights #AccessToJustice #RefugeeRights #GenderBasedViolence #WomenRights #UNHCR #HumanitarianWork #Podcast

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How can national prosecutors bring justice for atrocities committed abroad?

In this episode, Ignacio Baeriswyl explains how domestic courts are increasingly stepping in to prosecute international crimes when global institutions cannot.

🎧 Episode Overview

In this episode Dr Miranda Melcher continues her conversation with Ignacio Baeriswyl, a Chile-qualified lawyer and PhD researcher at the University of Amsterdam. Building on the previous episode about his work at the International Criminal Court, Ignacio discusses his transition into academia and his doctoral research on an often overlooked actor in international criminal law: domestic prosecutors who pursue atrocity crimes committed abroad.

Ignacio explains the concept of Domestic Extraterritorial Atrocity Prosecutors (DEAPs)—national prosecutors who investigate and prosecute international crimes such as war crimes or crimes against humanity in their own courts, even when those crimes occurred in another country. His research examines how these prosecutors act as gatekeepers in international criminal justice, shaping which cases proceed and how victims’ experiences are represented in court.

The discussion also explores the methodological challenges of empirical legal research, the value of combining legal practice with academic analysis, and the growing importance of domestic courts in addressing the global accountability gap for international crimes.

Looking ahead, Ignacio reflects on possible developments in international criminal law and predicts that more countries may begin prosecuting atrocity crimes domestically as international institutions face increasing political and practical constraints.

👤 Guest Bio

Ignacio Baeriswyl

• Chilean-qualified attorney with experience in international criminal law.
• Former associate legal officer, Reparations Section, International Criminal Court (The Hague).
• Lecturer and Programme Coordinator, LLM in International Law, University of Amsterdam.
• PhD researcher examining domestic prosecutions of international crimes and the role of extraterritorial atrocity prosecutors.

📚 Resources & Links

• Just Access Podcast homepage – https://just-access.de/podcast
• Donate / support the podcast – https://just-access.de/donate
• Contact the show – podcast@just-access.de
• International Criminal Court – https://www.icc-cpi.int
• University of Amsterdam Faculty of Law – https://www.uva.nl

🗒️ Key Take-Aways

• Domestic prosecutors increasingly play a role in prosecuting international crimes committed abroad, helping to address the global impunity gap.
• These actors—referred to as Domestic Extraterritorial Atrocity Prosecutors (DEAPs)—serve as gatekeepers who determine which cases proceed to trial.
• Empirical research, including interviews with prosecutors and practitioners, can provide new insights into how international criminal law functions in practice.
• Academic research benefits from practical legal experience, which helps bridge the gap between law “on paper” and law “in action.”
• As international institutions face resource and jurisdictional limits, national courts may become increasingly important for achieving accountability for atrocities.
• Future cases may expand beyond Syria to other conflict contexts where victims have struggled to obtain justice.

📢 Call to Action

• Subscribe to the Just Access Podcast to receive future episodes.
• Share the episode with colleagues and networks interested in international criminal law and human-rights advocacy.
• Leave a review on your preferred podcast platform to help others discover the show.
• Support the podcast’s continued production by donating at https://just-access.de/donate.

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