Exhibition Dedicated to CRSV Crimes in Ukraine opened in Warsaw with the Support of EU Project Pravo-Justice

On 29 November, conference "Justice for Ukraine" was held in Warsaw (Poland) with the support of the British Embassy in Poland and the Casimir Pulaski Foundation.

The speakers included prominent representatives of international and Ukrainian legal community, NGOs and law enforcement agencies, including representatives of the Polish Public Prosecutor’s Office investigating war crimes and representatives of NGO "Opora", which collects evidence of war crimes in Poland.

Oleksandra Dermanska, National Key Expert of EU Project Pravo-Justice also attended the event. During the panel discussion titled "Supporting the Prosecution of War Crimes Committed in Ukraine: Legal, Factual Constraints and Opportunities", she spoke about the expectations of the Ukrainian people regarding justice for war victims.

"There is hope that justice will be done. This justice must include both accountability of Russia as a state and individual criminal responsibility of those who have committed international crimes. Even a layperson understands that it will be difficult to maintain lasting peace and stability without accountability," she said.

Moreover, Oleksandra Dermanska said that the international community strongly supports Ukraine in bringing the perpetrators of international and war crimes on the territory of Ukraine to justice.

"I think that not only Ukraine, but the entire international community came closer to this goal when the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova in March," emphasised Key National Expert of EU Project Pravo-Justice.

Moreover, during the conference held at the Museum of Polish History, thanks to the financial and logistical support of EU Project Pravo-Justice, an exhibition by artist Anastasiia Miroshnychenko dedicated to CRSV crimes in Ukraine was opened.

Each of the works presented is based on real cases. Some of them have already been investigated or even resulted in a verdict. The paintings are accompanied by detailed descriptions that vividly illustrate the specific features of conflict-related sexual violence and include profiles of perpetrators – Russian military personnel.

It is worth pointing out that efforts to bring to justice those responsible for international and war crimes on the territory of Ukraine are carried out within the framework of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group (ACA). This is a unique multilateral partnership established by the United States, the EU and the United Kingdom to support the Office of the Prosecutor General in investigating and prosecuting war crimes and violations of international humanitarian law committed because of Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine.

On its part, EU Project Pravo-Justice as one of the implementing partners within ACA continues supporting the efforts of the Office of the Prosecutor General to ensure proper accountability for each and every crime committed by the aggressor in Ukraine.