Dear Friends,
You are not alone! Read the latest on the progress you helped create.
We are all witnessing how fragile long-established rights can be, and how easily overreaching officials can undermine fundamental protections. The struggle to restore these rights and hold the powerful accountable is immense. PJI’s partners, and the victims and survivors they support, live this reality every day. Their courageous work for justice often comes at great personal risk. By supporting these efforts, PJI dramatically increases their chance of success and sends a powerful message: you are not alone.
Rising attacks on the legitimacy and mandates of international justice institutions mirror the increasing obstacles faced by our colleagues in domestic jurisdictions affected by conflict or dictatorship. Despite the hostile terrain and the path narrowing, PJI continues to walk shoulder to shoulder with our local colleagues in service of the victims; thank you for being there with us on this journey.
This work is possible because of the tireless, rarely reported, often dangerous, critical efforts of partners, courageous victims, and survivors. Thanks to your support of PJI, those responsible for terrible crimes will be held accountable, and the rule of law strengthened in countries that have not often seen justice for victims.
We are profoundly grateful for your partnership as we move into this critical phase in advancing justice for the survivors. As you read the updates below, which are only a slice of the work PJI has done over the last few months, please know that you are an important part of these stories.
Thank you for being a member of the PJI community. Now more than ever, your support helps build the path away from impunity and toward justice.
Updates from Around the World
- • A Confidential Situation
- • Gender Justice
- • Guatemala
- • Kenya
- • People’s Republic of China (China)
- • Ukraine
The PJI Team
- • Welcome Erica
- • Legal Fellowship Programme
- • Legal Internship Programme
- • You
Updates from Around the World
In Alphabetical Order
PJI’s local colleagues and the victims they serve are achieving justice against the odds; we are proud to support their journey. Since our update last May, PJI has led 35 intensive working sessions— which are deep, collaborative, case-based effort—to support colleagues in Kenya and Guatemala, as well as in one of the situations we must keep confidential for security reasons.
Returning home with Hope
After a week of intensive PJI in-person accompaniment, our colleague victim lawyers from a confidential situation told us that they were returning home with renewed hope, a message we very much needed to hear at this moment! Here are some of their comments:
“Thank you to PJI & partners, for the guidance, encouragement backed with legal expertise, we find hope in these trying times”
“[PJI’s accompaniment] has given the team so much enlightenment, inspiration and knowledge, in order to proceed and, necessarily, recalibrate our own activities and plans for international criminal law work. We thank you again!”
“Thanks PJI! The sessions were amazing and really tailored to the needs of our organization. We go back to [our country] with hope.”
In this situation, PJI is working with local partners to build new pathways to justice using existing structures and laws. Because we partnered with them from the outset, accompanying them step-by-step as they prepared to file domestic cases alleging crimes against humanity, we are now positioned to help them seize the opening window of opportunity for justice in this jurisdiction.
Building Resilience
As with the attacks on international justice, obstacles to gender justice and gender equality are mounting. As a result, the need to build resilience, solidarity, and resistance among practitioners who work for gender justice in international criminal law is urgently needed.
PJI was pleased to join colleagues in The Hague on September 29-30 for the Gender Justice in International Criminal Law Conference. We capitalised on this powerful opportunity for collective action by building and strengthening our relationships with activists, practitioners, and advocates while sharing strategies for resistance and strengthening gender justice in the face of growing threats; developing shared tactics for impact within the field of international criminal law; and reinforcing our collective resolve to defend gender justice as a core part of the international justice system.
By coming together, we are strengthening each other in this vital work and ensuring that the pursuit of equality and accountability remains a central priority within our field.
A Light Ahead
After our travels in Guatemala last February, our team has continued to engage our partners remotely. This month, in response to requests from local victims’ counsel, PJI returns to Guatemala to accompany our colleagues working on a variety of cases and investigations.
President Arévalo’s recent election signalled an opportunity for atrocity cases to move forward. However, the victims, their lawyers and allies, continue to face significant challenges from inside and outside the government. Although shadows remain, we anticipate leadership changes that will allow more light to break through.
Bringing Justice Home
On 22 September 2025, as a result of local practitioners’ advocacy, Kenya’s first-ever domestic crimes against humanity case was transferred to the trial court in Kisumu county, where the indictment alleges a systematic attack by police caused the death of 6-month-old Samantha Pendo, as well as sexual violence and torture against 39 other victims. In partnership with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Kenya (OHCHR), PJI has accompanied our local colleagues in the Baby Pendo case since the investigation was opened in 2019. We applaud the tenacity and bravery of the Pendo family, as well as the many victims of torture and sexual violence in this case, who are one step closer to getting their day in court.
Challenging Power Overseas
On 21 April 2025, PJI and Professor William Aceves intervened in a U.S. Supreme Court case alleging that Cisco Systems, Inc. (Cisco) customised its technology to help China track members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement. The case was led by the Human Rights Law Foundation (HRLF) and Schonbrun Seplow Harris Hoffman & Zeldes LLP; PJI was honoured by the invitation to participate.
The victims allege that Cisco provided their tracking technology knowing full well that it would be used to enable persecution, including torture and other violence against members of the Falun Gong movement. PJI’s brief challenges Cisco’s position that holding Cisco responsible for aiding and abetting these crimes would conflict with the U.S. foreign policy that allows for trade with Chinese government agencies. Our brief draws on the Congressional record to show that the victims’ claims are fully consistent with long-standing, bipartisan U.S. foreign policy regarding violations of Falun Gong practitioners’ human rights.
Image: “Cisco” by Diesmer Ponstein, cropped, CC BY 2.0
Amplifying Survivor Voices
On June 7, 2025, PJI’s Co-Executive Director Max Marcus participated in a talk following a powerful performance related to the war in Ukraine. The discussion centred on the vital process of documentation and its impact on victims and survivors.
Max emphasized a core PJI principle: survivors must be the centre of every justice effort. PJI tests all of our work against this principle, including our work with investigators and lawyers in Ukraine. For example, our courageous colleagues at the International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) recently published the results of their investigation into systemic sexual violence in Kherson—work that PJI supported and which puts survivor testimony first.
The performance that inspired this discussion was The Reckoning, presented by DASH Arts on 29 May, 2025. This documentary-style play brought the direct testimonies of survivors about atrocities they endured during the war in Ukraine to the stage. Based on verified statements collected from Ukrainian victims and witnesses, the play uncovers stories of unlawful killings, torture, sexual violence, and forced displacement committed since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in early 2022.
The PJI Team
Welcome to Erica!
PJI is delighted to welcome Erica Adams as our new Operations and Finance Director! Erica oversees the organisation’s operational, financial, and administrative functions, delivering strategic support and oversight to enable PJI’s international programming.
Legal Fellowship Programme
PJI regularly seeks junior attorneys with excellent written and oral communication skills and a keen interest in PJI’s mission to serve as legal fellows for one or two years. Each legal fellow conducts factual and legal research relating to situations where PJI works or is considering working, and assists with planning and executing trainings and other capacity-building work with local partners. We are hiring now for the 2026-2027 fellowship term.
We are thrilled to welcome Esther Ingabire as a new Legal Fellow this year. Esther joins our continuing Legal Fellow Valiant (Val) Jacob and Research Fellow Neiha Lasharie. We are also delighted to welcome Val for a second year!
In late August, PJI said goodbye to Hailey York. Many thanks to Hailey for her work as a Legal Fellow!
Legal Internship Programme
Each year, PJI welcomes law students into our work through 10-week internships. PJI’s legal interns contribute to strengthening justice processes in post-conflict and post-dictatorship contexts through legal and factual research and writing, analysing relevant political and legal issues in the countries where we work, and assisting with other capacity-building work with our partners. We are hiring now for the 2026 internship term.
This year, our Legal Internship Programme welcomed four extraordinary law students: Jacques Felix (Howard University), Trinity Fritz Lawrence (University of Minnesota), Luka Laitadze (University of Leiden), and Emma Verges (University of Virginia). Each brought a distinct lens to the pursuit of justice, strengthening our work in ways that will resonate far beyond their time with us.
PJI is honoured to encourage and train new and aspiring attorneys in our field. Minded as we are of the power of the next generation, it is still hard to understate the renewed energy and hope they bring to us and to our work. We are incredibly grateful to these young people.
You!
Thank you for standing with PJI as allies, supporters, and unwavering members of our community. Your belief in our work strengthens our resolve. Together, we are not just supporting survivors—we are actively pushing back against the darkness to ensure justice prevails.
With deepest gratitude,
Kathy Roberts and Max Marcus
Co-Founders, Partners in Justice International
