The International Bar Association-founded eyeWitness to Atrocities (eyeWitness), dedicated to documenting and promoting accountability for atrocity crimes, has announced the appointment of Professor Leila Nadya Sadat to its Board of Trustees (Board). Recognised globally as a leading authority in public international law, international criminal law, human rights and foreign affairs, Professor Sadat's addition underscores the organisation's commitment to justice and the rule of law.
Professor Sadat is the James Carr Professor of International Criminal Law at Washington University and was affiliated with Yale Law School as a senior research scholar and fellow of the Schell Center for Human Rights from 2021-2024. Her distinguished career includes serving as the Special Adviser on Crimes Against Humanity to two prosecutors of the International Criminal Court (ICC) from 2013-2023. Also in 2023, she was appointed as a United States expert to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)'s Moscow Mechanism .
A renowned scholar with more than 170 publications to her name, Professor Sadat has been a prominent voice in advancing international justice. Her leadership of the Crimes Against Humanity Initiative , a pioneering project that drafted the world's first treaty on crimes against humanity, earned her the Arthur Holly Compton Distinguished Faculty Award from Washington University in 2017. Professor Sadat is also the Chair of the American Branch of the International Law Association , and a member of the American Law Institute and the US Council on Foreign Relations .
Commenting on her appointment, Professor Sadat said: 'I am honoured to join this distinguished Board of Trustees to help advance the critically important work of eyeWitness to Atrocities in documenting the commission of atrocity crimes. I look forward to our work together.'
Professor Sadat joins a prestigious Board that includes Fatou Bensouda, former ICC Chief Prosecutor, and long-standing trustees Dr Mark Ellis , IBA Executive Director; Judge Richard Goldstone , former South African Constitutional Court judge; Tim Hughes , IBA Deputy Executive Director; David W Rivkin , former IBA President; and Philip Zeidman , retired DLA Piper partner. The board is supported by renowned legal experts David J Scheffer and David Tolbert , who serve as Counsellors. The collective expertise of the Board and Counsellors supports eyeWitness' mission to bridge the gap between frontline documenters and accountability bodies, ensuring valuable footage meets the standards for use in court.
Dr Ellis, eyeWitness originator remarked: 'We are honoured to welcome Professor Leila Sadat to the eyeWitness Board of Trustees. Her exceptional expertise and dedication to advancing international justice will be instrumental in strengthening our efforts to document and hold accountable those responsible for atrocity crimes.'
Carrie Bowker, Director of eyeWitness to Atrocities, added: 'We are privileged to welcome Professor Sadat to our Board of Trustees. Her proven commitment to human rights and justice for atrocity crimes will help us advance our mission of promoting accountability through verifiable documentation of mass atrocities and serious human rights violations.'
The eyeWitness organisation has played a pivotal role for over a decade in supporting frontline documenters using the eyeWitness to Atrocities app to capture footage of potential international crimes and serious human rights violations across the world. In a 2024 outcome report the organisation highlighted areas of work including significant footage collection; the advancement of accountability through the submission of dossiers submitted to international, regional and/or national accountability mechanisms; increased and strengthened partnerships with global human rights organisations dedicated to active documentation for accountability; and expanded pro bono assistance in reviewing and analysing collected footage.
