"The War is a Tragedy for Every Ukrainian"
A Ukrainian journalist covers crucial war crimes justice processes ongoing in her country.
Also see
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Ukraine: Justice in Absentia
Process seen as problematic in many jurisdictions, given the difficulties in allowing defendant their full rights.
Ukraine: Fighting Judicial Corruption in Wartime
Strenuous efforts continue to address long-time situation in which judges were elected with no competition or integrity checks.
Welcome to IWPR’s Frontline Update, your go-to source to hear from journalists and local voices at the front lines of conflict.
THE BIG PICTURE
This week, we highlight the work of Victoria Matola, a Ukrainian journalist dedicated to covering the crucial war crimes justice processes ongoing in her country.
VOICES FROM THE FRONTLINE
“The war is a tragedy for every Ukrainian family, even if not experiencing the terrible occupation or shelling,” said 37-year-old Matola, originally from the western Ukraine city of Ternopil. A writer and documentary filmmaker for over 15 years, she used to specialise in legal topics; after the start of the full-scale invasion, she switched her focus to war crimes.
“At first, it was very sensitive for me, I could not get out of my head the stories of people whose lives were changed,” she recalled. “I recorded a boy who had lost his mother and grandmother, and whose father remained in occupied territory; I talked to a man who had barely survived torture.”
Despite the challenges, Matola – also editor-in-chief of Watchers Media, a website focusing on legal news and oversight - has continued with this vital war crimes work.
“I believed that at least in this way - by recording the testimonies of survivors - I could help them in some way,” she said, adding, “At the same time, I am constantly working with a psychologist, undergoing training on working with trauma and conducting interviews with survivors.”
WHY IT MATTERS
“Working with IWPR has given me the opportunity to tell the world about events in Ukraine, particularly in the judicial and legal sphere,” Matola explained.
A contributor to IWPR’s Ukraine Justice Report since 2022, her stories have included deep dives into how in absentia trials form an important part of Ukraine’s “architecture of justice” and the topic of judicial corruption during war time.
“I wanted to learn about it not only as a journalist, but also as a citizen of Ukraine,” she said.
Through her reporting for IWPR, Matola has also had the opportunity to lecture at California’s American Chapman University on corruption in the Ukrainian judicial system, as well as contributing an an essay on this topic to the Russo-Ukrainian War Law Handbook.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Since 2022, IWPR’s Ukraine Justice Report has provided in-depth coverage of judicial processes taking place across the country as well as dedicated analysis and reporting on international justice issues connected to the invasion. Most recently, a new IWPR guide, launched last week in Kyiv, lays out key concepts and best practice in a concise and accessible format.
Public understanding and support for war crimes justice is key to ensuring accountability, lasting security and long-term healing for Ukraine, and supporting local journalists like Matola is an important building block in this process.
“Probably every journalist would like to write about the end of the war,” Matola continued. “For me, it is about holding the top leadership of the Russian Federation accountable for war and other international crimes.”
