On February 28, at the invitation of the organizers from the International Renaissance Foundation, our Association’s expert Borys Babin took part in the discussion “How can we not lose hope for justice?” dedicated to the current challenges of investigating and punishing international crimes, committed by the aggressor in Ukraine.
The participants discussed the impact on the relevant processes of the position of the new U.S. administration regarding sanctions for officials of the International Criminal Court and blocking the activities of USAID.
During the discussion, the issues of preserving evidence in criminal proceedings, aspects of universal jurisdiction and the prospects for the creation of special, “hybrid”, tribunals in the current conditions were raised.
In his speech, Professor Babin cited recent decisions of the European Court of Human Rights on the occupation of Crimea, and pointed out the need for a more active reflection of Russian aggression in the UN procedural mechanisms established for victims of human rights violations.
The expert noted the urgent risks and challenges regarding the legal provocations of Russia in the International Court of Justice and emphasized the need to work out Ukraine’s strong position in the dimension of transitional justice, in the context of the expected provocations of the aggressor’s imitation of the corresponding “negotiations”.
Professor Babin, among other things, emphasized the role of civil cases in national jurisdiction against the aggressor and structures controlled by the aggressor, both in terms of establishing facts and in the context of forming legal positions.
