Ukraine: Justice for POWs
As evidence grows of the cruel treatment and extrajudicial execution of Ukrainian captives, legal and human rights bodies are building strategies for prosecution.
As evidence grows of the cruel treatment and extrajudicial execution of Ukrainian captives, legal and human rights bodies are building strategies for prosecution.
Large teams of forensic experts work together with law enforcement officers and criminologists to collect evidence for future trials.
Country’s legal community is putting public pressure on the prosecutor general, the president’s office and the government to incorporate principles.
Processes deemed illegal as combatant immunity bars prosecution for mere participation in hostilities.
New legislation remains open to interpretation by law enforcement agencies and judges.
Conflicting laws make pursuing such cases more difficult – while criminalising some former fighters may only serve Russian interests.
An independent judiciary is essential to guarantee democracy and demonstrate that, despite the war, the country is continuing to implement change.
With some 1.5 million Ukrainians already expelled to Russia, legal experts weigh options for prosecution.
Legal expert warns that sexual violence is being used as a “tool of psychological terror, intimidation and torture”.
Steep learning curve for Ukrainian justice system now tasked with prosecuting complex crimes under international humanitarian law.