This initiative highlights the commitment of our students and faculty to tackling urgent human rights issues with depth and determination. We commend their efforts in contributing to the conversation on justice at the highest level.
Yesterday, I had the great pleasure to visit the International Criminal Court in The Hague and meet with trial lawyer Olivia Struyven. Together with my colleague Joséphine Rebecca Moerman, I accompanied valentine greven, Ariana Iacopucci, Steffany Nedeljkovic, Liesl Reynaert, Moranne Van Laecke and Audrey Walravens, who follow the Master of Laws programme at Universiteit Gent. During last academic year, Valentine, Ariana, Steffany, Liesl, Moranne and Audrey prepared a legal brief on the human rights situation of women and girls in Afghanistan. In the brief, they convincingly argued that the treatment of women and girls by the Taliban amounts to gender persecution as a crime against humanity. Yesterday, we officially submitted the brief to the Office of the Prosecutor at the ICC, bringing an end to our thought-provoking and often challenging conservations. For me, it has been a privilege to be able to supervise such engaged students and to learn from Joséphine Rebecca Moerman along the way.