WIZO brings Hamas sexual crimes to UN forum in Abu Dhabi
World WIZO convened an international panel in Abu Dhabi on September 30, 2026, as an official side event of the 15th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, focusing on documenting and preserving evidence of Hamas's sexual crimes from the October 7, 2023 attack and subsequent captivity, with Israeli and Ukrainian legal experts examining how to turn testimonies into admissible evidence and pursue accountability.
World WIZO convened an international panel in Abu Dhabi on September 30, 2026, as an official side event of the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. The discussion focused on documenting sexual violence committed during the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack and against hostages in captivity, and preserving evidence for future prosecutions. WIZO President Anat Vidor said in her opening remarks that for three years the organization has fought for the world to recognize what women and men endured, but recognition alone is not enough, and the question now is who will be held accountable. The panel addressed how testimony could become evidence admissible in court, challenges posed by its circulation on social media, and efforts to counter fabrication and denial. Participants also examined whether artificial intelligence could help preserve survivors' accounts without compromising their consent, privacy or dignity. Among the participants were former IDF chief military prosecutor Col. (res.) Sharon Zagagi-Pinhas, retired Jerusalem District Court judge Nava Ben-Or, international law expert Ben Wahlhaus, and Ukrainian lawyer Viktoriia Karpa. Shiran Mlamdovsky Somech presented a project using AI to preserve survivors' testimonies. The panel took place against the background of earlier UN findings. In March 2024, a UN mission led by Pramila Patten reported reasonable grounds to believe that sexual violence occurred during the October 7 attacks and clear and convincing information that hostages had been subjected to sexual violence. WIZO said the event formed part of its effort to use its UN consultative status and international network to bring the crimes before legal and diplomatic forums. Vidor described the work as alternative diplomacy.