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App to be used to collect civil rights breaches evidence in Iraq and Syria
The International Bar Association (IBA) is pushing an app which links into nearby Wi-Fi networks and records date and location - as a way of helping collect more reliable evidence of human rights abuses.
A new IBA app could help groups such as the Tamils provide evidence of human rights abuses Martin Good
The eyeWitness to Atrocities app collects as much information as it can about the time and location of recordings that are made - in order to reduce doubts over the reliability of genuine evidence. The app was developed after a controversy over footage from Sri Lanka which purported to show the execution of Tamil prisoners. The Sri Lanka government dismissed the recording as having been fabricated.
Ukraine
IBA executive director Mark Ellis said: 'This could be a real game-changer in the fight for human rights and international justice ... and provide a solution to the evidentiary challenges surrounding mobile phone footage.' The IBA is working with human rights groups with the aim of getting the app into use in Syria, Ukraine and other zones which are experiencing violence.
Secure database
The app was developed in London and enables the person who made the recording to chose between staying anonymous when uploading the recording or to give their name. When a video is uploaded, it is held in a secure database which is accessible only by legal experts. These experts then decide which are the appropriate authorities to submit the recording to and whether to seek the bringing of criminal charges. Source
