OSINT for Justice: Investigating Human Rights Violations During Conflict

Workshop Description

This hybrid session is designed for individuals and organizations interested in how open-source intelligence (OSINT) is used to document human rights abuses and support accountability efforts. Participants will explore how NGOs, journalists, and official investigation bodies apply OSINT to verify, collect, and analyse digital evidence of violations. You will learn how legal and criminal-focused OSINT investigations are conducted, how OSINT fits within the case-building process, and which countries and institutions have successfully used open-source methods to document war crimes and mass atrocities.

This workshop provides the foundation you need to expand your investigative skills for justice and your human rights portfolio through OSINT.

Please keep in mind that tickets for in-person attendance at The Hague Humanity Hub location are limited. The virtual event will take place on Microsoft Teams. This session will be recorded.

Workshop Objectives

• Understand how OSINT supports the documentation of human rights violations.
• Learn the workflow of legal/criminal OSINT and its role in building accountability cases.
• Explore case studies where OSINT has been used to document war crimes.
• Identify the key tools, platforms, and verification methods used in human rights investigations.
• Discuss ethical, security, and privacy considerations in sensitive OSINT work.

This workshop is part of an ongoing collaboration between the Hague Humanity Hub and OSINT for Ukraine, with additional joint events already in development. An upcoming session is a Wargaming Event, which will allow participants the opportunity to practice applying their OSINT skills to scenarios in teams. Stay tuned for more information.

Instructors

Deniz Diriscu

Deniz is a consultant working for international organisations and governments, as well as the co-founder and Chairman of OSINT for Ukraine Foundation. He is a researcher and specialist in Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) and International Law, with extensive experience investigating international crimes, conflict-related violence, and sanctions evasion. Deniz has led numerous cross-border investigations in support of journalists, NGOs, and official accountability mechansims. He also previously served as General Director of OSINT for Ukraine.

Margot van Heesbeen

Margot is a young professional with a background in public international law, specifically international criminal law, and international criminology. At OSINT for Ukraine, she is responsible for co-directing the International Crimes Investigation Group.

Jenna Dolecek

Jenna is the Head of the Crimes Against Children Unit at OSINT For Ukraine. She’s also an Open Source Investigation and Geospatial Analysis Expert with Justice Rapid Response and an OSINT Manager with Global Weekly. She was previously with the United Nations and the Centre for Information Resilience. She holds an LLM in International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law from the University of Essex.

Privacy Policy

This workshop will be recorded. If you do not wish to appear in the recording, please keep your camera off and edit your name in Zoom to maintain privacy. The Humanity Hub and OSINT for Ukraine (OFU) collect your name, email, and organization (if you have one) when you sign up for events, so they can manage the event and tell you about future ones. The Hub and OFU will not share your information with other companies without informing you first. Photos or videos may be taken at events, but you can inform the organisers if you do not want to be in them. Your data is stored safely, and you can ask to see it, change it, or have it deleted. The Hub will keep your information for 5 years to understand what events you like, and you can always unsubscribe from emails or opt out of surveys.