July 15-19 — Ukrainian International Criminal Justice Week. Events Calendar
The Center for Civil Liberties welcomes lawyers, international law experts, representatives of civil society organizations, and state institutions to a series of events that will take place during the Ukrainian Week of International Criminal Justice.
Every year on July 17, the world celebrates International Criminal Justice Day. This date commemorates the adoption in 1998 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court — the first permanent international judicial body in history with jurisdiction to prosecute the most serious crimes under international law. For the fifth consecutive year, the Center for Civil Liberties organizes the Ukrainian Week of International Criminal Justice around this date. This year’s focus theme is “Breaking the Cycle of Impunity”.
Webinar: “Strategies to Combat Impunity for International Crimes in Ukraine Since 2014”
- Date: Monday, July 15
- Time: 16:00-17:00
- Format: Online
- Language: English
During the lecture, we will analyze the experience of the International Criminal Court, established on July 17, 1998, based on the principles of complementarity and legality as important tools in the global fight against impunity. We will discuss the strategies Ukraine and other states parties to the Rome Statute should adopt to hold accountable those responsible for war crimes, and specifically how conflicts such as those in Syria and Ukraine have impacted the effectiveness of the ICC’s work. Registration link available.
Workshop: “How to Document International Crimes?” by Serhiy Movchan
- Date: Tuesday, July 16
- Time: 16:00-18:00
- Format: Offline
- Language: Ukrainian
Participants of the event will have the opportunity to explore various aspects of international crimes in the context of the war in Ukraine, gain knowledge, and practical skills in documentation through interviewing witnesses and victims of war crimes. The workshop will be conducted by Serhiy Movchan, Head of the Department for Documentation of War Crimes at the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union (UHHRU). Registration link available.
Ten Years of International Russian Crimes in Ukraine: Which Strategy Leads to Justice? — Conference
- Date: Wednesday, July 17
- Time: 09:00-18:00
- Format: Offline
- Languages: Ukrainian and English (simultaneous translation)
What is better: trials in absentia now or trials with the presence of the accused in an uncertain future? Hundreds of verdicts with weak legal arguments within the current judicial system, or dozens of verdicts with strong arguments from a specialized court that could be established in the future? Verdicts based on current legislation or on amended legislation closer to the Rome Statute? What should the Ukrainian strategy be in the fight for justice? Registration link available.
“Destroy, in Whole or in Part” — Screening of the Kyiv Independent Film and Discussion
- Date: Thursday, July 18
- Time: 18:00-20:00
- Format: Offline
- Language: Ukrainian
Is Russia committing genocide in Ukraine? The film attempts to find a reasoned answer to this complex question. Its author, journalist from the Kyiv Independent’s War Crimes Investigation Unit, Danylo Mokryk, engages with academics and legal experts studying the genocide issue, as well as five Ukrainians who have firsthand experience with Russian war crimes. The film’s duration is 60 minutes. After the screening, there will be a discussion with the film’s author. Registration link available.
Ukrainian Dimension of International Criminal Justice — Q&A with Judge of the European Court of Human Rights from Ukraine, Mykola Hnatovskyi
- Date: Friday, July 19
- Time: 11:00-12:00
- Format: Online
- Language: Ukrainian
Mykola Hnatovskyi is a renowned Ukrainian international lawyer, the First Vice President of the Ukrainian Association of International Law, and one of the initiators and authors of the Declaration and Statement on the establishment of a Special Tribunal on the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. Since June 2022, he has served as a judge at the European Court of Human Rights representing Ukraine, having previously worked extensively with the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture, including three terms as its president. Registration link available.
Webinar: “Establishing a Special International Tribunal on the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine”
- Date: Friday, July 19
- Time: 13:00-14:00
- Format: Online
- Language: English
The lecture will explore the legal frameworks for establishing a Special International Tribunal tasked with addressing the crime of aggression committed against Ukraine. You will learn about the legal and political aspects of establishing such a tribunal, its potential structure, jurisdiction, challenges it may face, as well as historical precedents and examples. Registration link available.
