Global Rights Compliance

Discussing the Path for SGBC Victims in Ukraine’s Criminal Justice System A roundtable, organised by GRC and supported by the European Union in Ukraine, gathered victim-experts, Ukrainian prosecutors, investigators, and international experts to discuss the challenges faced by victims of sexual and gender-based crimes (SGBC) committed in the context of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The event focused on improving the support for victims throughout the criminal justice process and sharing best practices to strengthen investigations. The outcomes of the event will contribute to building better victim-centered approaches in the prosecution and investigation SGBC atrocities. GRC’s CRSV Mobile Justice Team is a part of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group (ACA). The ACA is a multilateral initiative established by the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom to support and assist Ukrainian law enforcement and prosecutors in investigating and prosecuting international crimes committed during a full-scale war. This event was organised with the financial support of the European Union. Wayne Jordash KC Karine Ardault Anastasiia Moiseieva Julia Tétrault-Provencher Hoar Habrelian Tobias Freeman

📢 Call for Greater Transparency and Accountability in Italy’s Arms Export Practices A new report by Global Rights Compliance and the T.M.C. Asser Instituut urges Italy to enhance transparency and accountability in its arms exports. As Italy considers amending its arms export laws, it is crucial that these reforms align with international human rights standards, particularly under the Arms Trade Treaty. The report presents four key recommendations: ❗ Align reforms with the Arms Trade Treaty, boosting transparency and enhancing human rights risk assessments. ❗Strengthen risk assessments for all arms exports. ❗Ensure businesses comply with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. ❗Involve civil society in consultations in all arms transfers. The goal is to prevent arms exports that could contribute to violations of human rights and IHL and ensure Italy’s commitment to ethical trade practices. These recommendations will hopefully be discussed at the next UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in January 2025. Read more: https://cutt.ly/GeUwd0ws #HumanRights #ArmsExport #Italy #UPR #Transparency #InternationalLaw #BusinessEthics Lara Strangways Jowita Mieszkowska Daniel Mack

On 16 September 2024, GRC Team Leads for Mobile Justice Teams Julianne Romy and James Hyatt had the opportunity to meet with Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Todd Robinson. The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs is a valued partner to GRC, working within the framework of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group in Ukraine. The GRC representatives briefed Secretary Robinson on their organisations activities, including operation of GRC's thematic and regional Mobile Justice Teams.

The Prosecutor General of Ukraine has signed a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation with civil society organisations (CSOs) to support the investigation and prosecution of conflict-related crimes. This agreement is based on the 'Principles of Cooperation between Ukrainian Prosecuting Authorities and Civil Society Organisations,' drafted with the assistance of Global Rights Compliance (GRC) under the MATRA-Ukraine project. This document aims to streamline cooperation and promote core principles of cooperation, including voluntariness, independence, and non-discrimination and rights-based approaches. The Prosecutor General underscored the document's significance and the critical need for a robust partnership between prosecutorial bodies and civil society during these challenging times. Ruby Mae Axelson Team Lead for the MATRA-Ukraine project at GRC, emphasised, “Effective cooperation requires clarity, mutual understanding, and continued dialogue. These guidelines are designed to foster a strong, principled partnership between prosecuting authorities and CSOs, guided by international standards and best practices.” The MATRA-Ukraine project, a collaborative effort between the T.M.C. Asser Instituut and Global Rights Compliance, is dedicated to bolstering Ukraine’s capacity to handle international crimes. By supporting investigators, the Office of the Prosecutor General, judges, CSOs, journalists, and defence lawyers, the project aims to strengthen the country's judicial system and ensure accountability. Wayne Jordash KC Ruby Mae Axelson PRACHITI VENKATRAMAN Iryna Levandovska Viktoriia Kovalchak

GRC to Assist Chernihiv Prosecutor's Office in Investigating War Crimes Committed in the Context of the Russian Full-Scale Invasion During a visit to Chernihiv, GRC Mobile Justice Team discussed with regional prosecutors and investigators priorities in investigating war crimes committed in the context of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the most effective approaches to prioritising and building cases. Chernihiv prosecutors and investigators are focusing on two categories of crimes: those committed during the active occupation of parts of the region by the Russian Federation Armed Forces, and post-occupation crimes (shelling of border areas, missile attacks on Chernihiv, etc.). During the meeting, they outlined the challenges in systematising occupation-related crimes, which were numerous and included willful killings, unlawful confinement, conflict-related sexual violence, artillery strikes, and others. In response, GRC legal advisors provided advice on approaches to evidence gathering, crime systematisation, and mapping. https://cutt.ly/JeTjUlkD GRC specialists support the prosecutor’s office in processing cases and identifying perpetrators and involved parties. The Mobile Justice Teams are part of the International Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group (ACA Group), which was initiated by the governments of the US, the EU, and the UK to assist Ukraine in holding accountable those responsible for crimes committed during Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. Wayne Jordash KC Julianne Romy Dusan Jovanovic Denys Hatseniuk Anna Nekrasova

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GRC Meets with the Attorney General Lord Richard Hermer KC to Discuss the Investigations of War Crimes Recently, representatives of GRC met with the Attorney General, Lord Hermer KC, in Irpin near the destroyed bridge, a site marked by the devastation of the early days of the full-scale invasion. During the meeting, legal advisers discussed the ongoing challenges in investigating war crimes and shared their insights into the situation on the ground. Lord Hermer KC reaffirmed the UK's commitment to support Ukraine in its fight for freedom and justice, stating, "The UK supports Ukraine’s fight for freedom and its fight for justice. Russia must be accountable both for specific atrocities and its act of aggression. From the battlefield to the courtroom, the UK stands with Ukraine." Lidiia Volkova, GRC Legal Adviser, expressed gratitude to international partners for their continued support and emphasised the importance of GRC's involvement in the international Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group initiative. "Ukraine is going through an extraordinarily difficult time, and now is the moment for the entire civilised world to consolidate its efforts to confront aggression and violations of international law and human rights. Our team is doing everything possible to support Ukrainian law enforcement agencies on their path to achieving justice together," Volkova said. Lidiia Volkova Iryna Skrypnyk

United for Justice. Accountability for the Attacks Against Civilian Objects – GRC Participated in a High-Level Conference The conference was opened by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Among the speakers were Karim Khan, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and Andriy Kostin, Prosecutor General of Ukraine. The representatives of the Critical Infrastructure Mobile Justice Team attended on behalf of GRC. Since the start of Russia's full-scale aggression, more than 137,000 war crimes have been recorded, and over 184,000 civilian infrastructure facilities have been damaged. Catriona Murdoch, GRC Vice President, highlighted the impact on civilians, food security and trade. "As is clear, these attacks are interconnected by patterns and policies, and their impacts compounded. The attacks on energy make it impossible to store critical food crops in proper conditions, causing them to spoil. Attacks on water infrastructure and transformer substations mean that agricultural areas are prevented from critical irrigation. Yet what is clear is the use of these high-precision weapons systems, the coordinated and combined military forces - fleet and aviation, could only have been authorised at the highest strategic level of command within the Russian Federation Armed Forces," – summarised Catriona Murdoch. The conference focused on raising global awareness about the devastating consequences of Russian attacks, which have affected critical infrastructure such as power grids, water supplies, and medical facilities. GRC has been supporting and advising the Prosecutor Office of Ukraine in its investigations and prosecutions of war crimes in the context of the Russian full-scale invasion as a member of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory (ACA) Group. ACA was initiated by the governments of the US, the EU, and the UK to assist Ukraine in holding accountable those responsible for crimes committed during Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. Read more: https://cutt.ly/GeRTjjYe Catriona Murdoch Rebecca Bakos Blumenthal Ольга Мацьків Borys Vakhramieiev

Zaporizhzhia Prosecutor’s Office, together with GRC, has identified priority areas in investigating Russian war crimes in the region. During the latest meeting in Zaporizhzhia, GRC legal advisers and law enforcement representatives set cooperation priorities and agreed on a further action plan. This includes the development of investigations in two key areas: attacks with S-300 systems and unlawful detention and inhumane treatment. "Prioritization is essential. It doesn't mean that other crimes won't be investigated, but that the prosecutor's office will not consider each crime in isolation. Instead, they will see them as part of a broader system, showing planning and organization. This will allow us to build large cases and, in turn, trace command chains to hold senior Russian military leadership accountable," said Lidiia Volkova, Deputy Team Lead. Read more: https://cutt.ly/7eRa9sFf GRC specialists support the prosecutor's office in processing cases and identifying perpetrators and involved parties. The Mobile Justice Teams are part of the International Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group (ACA Group), which was initiated by the governments of the US, the EU, and the UK to assist Ukraine in holding accountable those responsible for crimes committed during Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. _____________________________ Прокуратура Запорізької області спільно з юристами GRC визначили пріоритетні напрямки у розслідуванні воєнних злочинів росіян у регіоні. Під час чергової зустрічі в Запоріжжі юристи GRC та представники правоохоронних органів визначили пріоритети співпраці та узгодили подальший план дій. Йдеться, зокрема, про розвиток розслідування за двома ключовими напрямками: Обстріли цивільних об’єктів із застосуванням комплексів С300 та неправомірне утримання і нелюдське поводження. Мобільні команди правосуддя GRC працюють як частина Міжнародної Консультативної групи з питань найтяжчих злочинів ACA Group, яка була ініційована урядами США, ЄС та Великої Британії для допомоги Україні в притягненні до відповідальності винних у злочинах, скоєних під час повномасштабної війни росії проти України. Wayne Jordash KC Julianne Romy Lidiia Volkova Diana Vizniak

Contemporary international armed conflicts pose new challenges for international humanitarian law, even when it comes to basic guarantees like the protection of civilians. Who can claim protected civilian status under international humanitarian law? What determines the scope of guarantees and protections - one's legal nationality or actual allegiance to a warring party? How does this determination impact the situation of occupation, particularly cases of real or perceived collaboration with the enemy forces or obtaining the nationality of an occupying power? GRC's legal advisors, Maksym Vishchyk and Jeremy Pizzi, share their opinions on this topic in an article for the blog of the EJIL: Talk! European Journal of International Law. https://cutt.ly/ZeQ5ITiu