Визуальные образы в международном уголовном правосудии: от Сребреницы и далее

Международное правосудие. 2023. № 3(47). С. 112–129.

Evseev A.

The article analyzes the concept of “international criminal justice as theater”, one which has recently
become widespread in Western doctrine. The author presents arguments in its favor and dwells on the
heuristic potential hidden in it. He concludes that the excessive spectacle inherent in modern international
litigation is detrimental to the quality of the administration of justice and often discredits it. In
addition, according to these cases’ judges themselves, the emerging trend of visualization of evidence
distracts them from clarifying details of real importance for correct resolution of the case, thereby preventing
the establishment, albeit formally, of the truth. This article introduces an ideal or typical construction
of an image which is interpreted as the court’s and the proceedings’ participants’ representation
of themselves and other actors. It is stated that although images are not and cannot be a determining
factor in international criminal justice, they often influence the atmosphere in the courtroom
and form the general tone adopted by the media when describing ongoing trials. Particular attention is
paid to electronic evidence, primarily to that which is freely available on the Internet. The practice of
international criminal justice bodies shows that evidence presented by the Office of the Prosecutor of a
particular tribunal increasingly includes materials captured on mobile phone cameras by victims of
the conflict themselves or by eyewitnesses. This, in turn, leads to the unique situation where there is
so much relevant content from different sources that neither the prosecution nor the defense is able to
analyze it in its entirety. It also has other downsides — first, information that exists in electronic form
can be easily falsified, and, second, as a result of “information noise”, society often loses the ability to
empathize.

Keywords: фрейминг, визуальная культура, visual culture, framing, международное уголовное правосудие, international criminal justice