War and justice
Yuliia Shuliak is a Ukrainian lawyer who represents Russian military personnel accused of war crimes in court. In an interview with MIHR, the lawyer talks about her experience working on war crimes cases, the challenges of the trial in absentia, the impact of an international educational project on her perception of her work, and the public condemnation.
19 July 2024
The MIHR asked Maksym Tymochko, an officer of the International Law Department of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, why Russia ignores the immunity of a combatant, how the case against Nazi lawyers in Germany will help Ukraine, and why the enemy changed its strategy in its trials of the Azov fighters.
24 June 2024
The Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don has sentenced four Ukrainians accused of attempting to assassinate the so-called head of the ‘DNR,’ Oleksandr Zakharchenko, and the murder of the commander of a pro-Russian separatist battalion, Arsen Pavlov, known by his call sign ‘Motorola.’
19 June 2024
On May 2, 2024, the Parliamentary Legal Committee reviewed and endorsed draft law No. 7033-д for parliamentary consideration. This draft law limits access to information and decisions within the register of court decisions, which hold substantial public interest and are crucial for public oversight of law enforcement activities. The proposed changes undermine the principles of a democratic society and contradict Ukraine’s commitments to European integration.
16 May 2024
On 11 July 1995, over eight thousand Bosnian Muslims — men and boys — were captured and killed by the forces and police of Bosnian Serbs near the town of Srebrenica. The planned and organized massacre of people on religious and ethnic grounds is still considered the largest in Europe since World War II.
30 April 2024
On March 20, the MIHR presented an analytical study on victims' legal status, experience, and motivation in war crimes cases. This is the first such study in Ukraine. The research consists of a theoretical part about the experience of other countries in working with victims of war crimes, an analysis of national legislation, and a practical part where the team summarizes the experience of victims whose cases are already in courts or under active investigation.
20 March 2024
A court in Odesa is examining one of the first cases involving the capture and illegal detention of Ukrainian civilians in the occupied territories. The trial is against the so-called occupation “mayor” of Nova Kakhovka and an “aide to the head of the DPR”. Among the victims are residents of Kherson Region.
30 January 2024
Psychologist Alma Taso Deljkovic is one of those who joined the creation of a victim support system […]
23 January 2024
Taras Semkiv is the Deputy Head of the Department for Combating Crimes Committed in the Context of Armed Conflict, Office of the Prosecutor General. He led a team of five prosecutors who prosecuted the case of Denys Kulykovskyi after his detention. The case estimated 22 victims.
15 January 2024
On November 24, the Media Initiative for Human Rights presented a manual on covering war crimes courts. It consists of a theoretical framework and practical advice on how to cover court hearings, communicate with the parties to the process, and adhere to the ethical framework.
28 November 2023