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Johann Soufi

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Johann Soufi
Born (1982-07-10) July 10, 1982 (age 43)
Chartres, France
NationalityFrench, Algerian
EducationCY Cergy Paris Université, Paris-Saclay University
OccupationInternational lawyer
Known forInternational criminal law, human rights advocacy

Johann Lounès Soufi (born 10 July 1982) is a French-Algerian international lawyer specializing in international criminal law. He took part in various international tribunals and United Nations investigative bodies, working on cases related to war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and other international human rights violations.[1][2]

Early life and education

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Johann Soufi was born in Chartres, France, to a French mother, Marie-Claude Leborgne, and an Algerian Kabyle father, Cherif Soufi. He grew up in the Paris suburbs, in Val-d'Oise. He holds both French and Algerian citizenship.[3][4]

Soufi completed his legal studies at Cergy-Pontoise University (now CY Cergy Paris Université) and earned a Master’s degree from Université Paris-Sud (now Paris-Saclay). He also passed the bar exam and attended the Bar School of Versailles.[5] He is pursuing a PhD at Université Paris II Panthéon-Assas and Laval University in Quebec, Canada.[6][7]

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Soufi initially worked as a criminal defense lawyer in France before transitioning to international criminal law. He was admitted to practice before several international courts, including the International Criminal Court.[8]

In 2007, Soufi joined the defense team representing former Rwandan official Callixte Kalimanzira at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha, Tanzania.[9][10] Kalimanzira was convicted of genocide in 2009.[11] Later in 2009, Soufi was recruited by ICTR President Khalida Rashid Khan to provide legal advice and assist in drafting the trial judgment of the Rwandan interim government during the genocide.[12]

In 2011, Soufi was recruited by the Special Court for Sierra Leone to coordinate the drafting of the judgment against former Liberian President Charles Taylor.[13][14][15]

In 2012, Soufi worked as a Coordination Officer for the United Nations Serious Crimes Investigations Team in Timor-Leste, overseeing the final stages of investigations into crimes against humanity committed during East Timor’s independence process.[16]

From 2012 to 2018, Soufi served as the Head of the Legal Advisory Section of the Defence Office at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. He worked in the in-absentia trial of individuals accused of assassinating former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri.[17][18]

In 2018, UN Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Soufi as the legal advisor to the International Commission of Inquiry for Mali. The commission investigated international crimes and human rights violations committed between 2012 and 2018, submitting its final report in June 2020.[19][20][21]

From 2020 to 2022, Soufi was the Head of the Legal Office of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Gaza.[22][23]

In March 2023, Soufi joined Global Rights Compliance as a senior international prosecutor. He assisted the Ukrainian government in implementing legal frameworks for prosecuting atrocity crimes committed during the Russian-Ukrainian War and provided training to Ukrainian investigators and prosecutors.[24][25][26]

Since September 2024, Soufi led the UN OHCHR Sri Lanka Accountability Project (OSLAP), established under UN Human Rights Council Resolution 46/1.[27][28]

Public activity

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In 2018, Soufi co-founded the Institute for Legal and Advocacy Training (IILAT), based in The Hague, serving as its Strategic Director. IILAT provides advocacy training and capacity-building support to legal and human rights practitioners.[29][30][31]

He is also a co-founder and member of the Conseil Scientifique of the Association des Juristes pour le Respect du Droit International (JURDI), a legal organization promoting adherence to international law and human rights, particularly regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.[32][33][34]

Soufi was a vocal advocate on humanitarian and accountability issues, particularly regarding Gaza and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Following the October 2023 Hamas offensive and the Israeli counterattack, he frequently appeared in international media, including "Le Monde",[35][36][37] to provide legal analysis on war crimes and international law violations.[38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47]

In February 2024, he co-represented 21 Palestinian victims in a submission to the European Union, urging sanctions against Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.[48][49][50][51]

References

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  1. ^ "The European Union must sanction Israel for its crimes in Gaza". International Federation for Human Rights. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  2. ^ "Can the complaint against a French-Israeli soldier accused of torture in Gaza succeed?". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  3. ^ "Johann Soufi, une voix pour Gaza" (in French). 2023-10-26. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  4. ^ onufrance (2021-05-31). "Johann Soufi : un regard de Gaza". ONU France (in French). Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  5. ^ "Johann Soufi, une voix pour Gaza" (in French). 2023-10-26. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  6. ^ "Johann SOUFI – Centre Thucydide" (in French). Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  7. ^ "José Ángel Duarte Arriaza". Chaire de recherche sur la justice internationale et les droits fondamentaux. Université Laval. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  8. ^ Semere, Sonia. "Immersion au cœur du droit international pénal et des conflits mondiaux". Droit-inc (in Canadian French). Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  9. ^ "ICTR Case No. ICTR-05-88" (PDF). United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT). Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  10. ^ "Document eab299" (PDF). Legal Tools Database. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  11. ^ "ICD - Kalimanzira - Asser Institute". www.internationalcrimesdatabase.org. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  12. ^ "Document 7c2943" (PDF). Legal Tools. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  13. ^ "Justice pénale internationale : quel bilan ?". www.vie-publique.fr. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  14. ^ "Trial Transcript: Taylor - 26 April 2012" (PDF). Special Court for Sierra Leone. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  15. ^ "Plaidoirie by Johan Soufi (22 January 2015)" (PDF). Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK). Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  16. ^ "Author: Johan Soufi". African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  17. ^ "The Challenges and Possibilities of International Criminal Law: In Conversation with Johann Soufi". Centre for Justice & Law Promotion Africa. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  18. ^ "Johann Soufi". Academia.edu. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  19. ^ "La défense devant les tribunaux pénaux internationaux- Entretien avec Johann SOUFI - Conseiller juridique aux Nations Unies et Expert en poursuites internationales". Centre Algérien de Diplomatie Économique (in French). 2020-03-01. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  20. ^ "Portugal's Antonio Guterres elected UN secretary-general". BBC News. 2016-10-13. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  21. ^ "António Guterres appointed next UN Secretary-General by acclamation | UN News". news.un.org. 2016-10-13. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  22. ^ JURISDICTION, PALESTINE ; EU ; UNIVERSAL (2024-10-23). "Johann Soufi on alternative pathways for international justice for victims in Palestine". Victims Rights Inter. Retrieved 2025-05-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  23. ^ "Exposed: UNRWA's Rigged "Independent" Review". UN Watch. 2024-04-15. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  24. ^ "Parlons-en, les invités - Johann Soufi, avocat : "Sans justice, il n'y a pas de paix durable en Ukraine ou au Proche-Orient"". France 24 (in French). 2023-11-23. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  25. ^ "Martial Manet, Johann Soufi, auteur sur AOC media - Analyse Opinion Critique". AOC media - Analyse Opinion Critique (in French). Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  26. ^ "Géopolitique - Les JO entre guerre et paix". RFI (in French). 2024-08-10. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  27. ^ jcrawford (2025-02-03). "Can Sri Lanka now break with the past?". JusticeInfo.net. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  28. ^ Semere, Sonia. "Immersion au cœur du droit international pénal et des conflits mondiaux". Droit-inc (in Canadian French). Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  29. ^ "About Us". IILAT. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  30. ^ "World Court could order ceasefire if Israel offensive is deemed a 'serious risk of genocide in Gaza'". France 24. 2024-01-12. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  31. ^ "#Call4Peace initiative: Open letter to European Union, through the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU, "Peace for Israel and Palestine grounded in international law"". Centro di Ateneo per i Diritti Umani. 2024-02-02. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  32. ^ "Gouvernance - le Conseil Scientifique". JURDI - Juristes pour le respect du droit international (in French). Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  33. ^ Jahnecke, Nadia (2024-02-23). "The Challenges and Possibilities of International Criminal Law: In Conversation with Johann Soufi". CJLPA. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  34. ^ "Palestine, A Graveyard of International Law? - featuring Johann Lounès Soufi, Former Head of UNRWA (Gaza) | University of Chicago Law School". www.law.uchicago.edu. 2024-01-17. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  35. ^ "« Le futur de la Cour pénale internationale se joue aussi en Palestine »" (in French). 2023-09-21. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  36. ^ "« La qualification des actes commis à Gaza, notamment l'existence d'un possible génocide, mobilisera les juristes internationaux pour les années à venir »" (in French). 2024-05-21. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  37. ^ "« Le cimetière du droit international que représente Gaza marque la fin d'un monde »" (in French). 2024-01-25. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  38. ^ "Israël : le monde au pied du mur ? en replay - C ce soir". www.france.tv (in French). Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  39. ^ "Johann Lounès Soufi. Avocat et ancien responsable du bureau des affaires juridiques de l'UNRWA à Ghaza : «La déshumanisation progressive des Palestiniens constitue les fondations du génocide»". El watan. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  40. ^ McKernan, Bethan (2024-01-28). "UK, US and other countries to pause funding for key UN aid agency for Palestinian refugees". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  41. ^ Hylton, Annie (2025-01-11). "Could Other Countries Prosecute Soldiers in Gaza?". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  42. ^ "Johann Soufi : « Israël mène un combat contre l'ONU en général »". L'Orient-Le Jour (in French). 2024-01-31. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  43. ^ "Libération des otages : un tournant dans la guerre ? en replay - C ce soir". www.france.tv (in French). Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  44. ^ Israël accusé de génocide : les explications de Johann Soufi, procureur international, ex-responsable du bureau juridique de l'ONU à Gaza. - 19h30 - Play RTS. Retrieved 2025-05-19 – via www.rts.ch.
  45. ^ "Johann Soufi : « Sur Gaza, la Belgique est le leader moral de l'UE »". Le Soir (in French). 2024-02-23. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  46. ^ صرّاح, ماجيد (2024-05-26). "Johann Soufi, avocat international : La requête du Procureur de la CPI "marque une rupture fondamentale"". الشروق أونلاين (in Arabic). Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  47. ^ "Israel faces Gaza 'genocide' case at UN top court". Gold FM News. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  48. ^ "En Cisjordanie, des victimes palestiniennes réclament à l'Europe des sanctions - L'Humanité". www.humanite.fr (in French). 2024-02-28. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  49. ^ "Johann Soufi, a voice for Gaza". 2023-10-27. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  50. ^ "« La qualification des actes commis à Gaza, notamment l'existence d'un possible génocide, mobilisera les juristes internationaux pour les années à venir »" (in French). 2024-05-21. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  51. ^ "L'Union européenne doit sanctionner Israël pour ses crimes à Gaza". Fédération internationale pour les droits humains (in French). Retrieved 2025-05-19.
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