In the context of Russian aggression against Ukraine, the International Bar Association (IBA) and Ukraine’s JustTalk – respectively, the global voice of the legal profession and an open platform for professional discussion about criminal justice – convened a conversation with national and international law experts on the prosecution of crimes against humanity, including challenges, approaches and international experience.
IBA Executive Director, Dr Mark Ellis, said: ‘As Russia’s war against Ukraine continues, it is important to maintain the momentum in identifying systematic and targeted attacks on the civilian population, which are crimes against humanity. To achieve the most just result, it is crucial to bring people together to talk about how recent changes in Ukrainian law, such as the ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and amendments to the Criminal Code of Ukraine, present new opportunities to bring those responsible for these crimes to justice.’
Other topics discussed during the event included, inter alia:
- the evolution of jurisprudence surrounding crimes against humanity from an international law perspective and how this might apply to the situation in Ukraine;
- the main challenges that arise when applying the norms of the Rome Statute to Ukrainian legislation; and
- how international cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in investigating crimes against humanity is organised.
The event was held online and in-person in Ukraine’s capital city, Kyiv on Wednesday 19 March 2025. Rasim Babanly, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Supreme Court of Ukraine, was the moderator for the discussion. The speaker line-up included Yuriy Belousov, Head of the Department for Combating Crimes Committed in Armed Conflict, Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine; Florence Darques Lane, Senior International Prosecutor for Global Rights Compliance in Ukraine; Iain Edwards, Chair of the Defence Committee of the ICC Bar Association and alternate member of the ICCBA-ABCPI | Defence Committee; and Leyla Nadia Sadat, James Carr Professor of International Criminal Law at the University of Washington.
Vasylyna Yavorska, JustGroup CEO, commented: ‘Our collaboration with the International Bar Association is valuable to us, as it provides an opportunity to strengthen professional discussions in the field of criminal justice in times of war. Leading international experts add depth and practical dimension to the discussions, sharing their experience and best international approaches.’ She added: ‘For example, in this session, IBA experts shared their expertise on the investigation of crimes against humanity. This is the third JustTalk discussion organised jointly. The experience of different jurisdictions and practitioners from different countries remains an important factor in strengthening the capabilities of the war crimes investigation system.’
IBA Legal Policy & Research Unit Legal Manager, George Artley, who helped coordinate the event from the IBA side, said: ‘It was my immense privilege and pleasure to be able to welcome everyone to this event on behalf of the IBA, which is the latest in a series that we have been sponsoring in partnership with JustTalk. As ever, the conversation had was enlightening and stimulating, with excellent engagement from the audience. We look forward to continuing to work with our colleagues and members on future events as part of the IBA’s ongoing and unfailing support for the legal profession in Ukraine.’
The session, in the Ukrainian language, can be listened to here. It is accompanied by a discussion paper on the key points in Ukrainian.. The paper outlines in more detail how crimes against humanity are enshrined in various statutes around the world, and what these crimes are – murder, enslavement and imprisonment, amongst other acts. Future events co-hosted by the IBA and JustTalk are planned for 2025, including discussions on the use of the IBA-founded eyeWitness to Atrocities App in gathering evidence of Russian war crimes.
On 1 January 2025, Ukraine formally joined the ICC as the 125th state party to the Rome Statute. Ukraine now has all the rights and responsibilities that come with being a full participant in the ICC treaty.