On August 21st, at the Parkovy Exhibition and Convention Center, the International Conference dedicated to the establishment of a mechanism for punishing crimes against the Ukrainian people took place. The event gathered over 400 participants, including Ukrainian and international lawyers, human rights advocates, diplomats, parliamentarians, representatives of the academic community, and media.
The crime of aggression by Russia against Ukraine must be properly punished, according to the conference participants. "From the first days of the full-scale war, we've been talking about retaliation and justice as part of our victory. Peace is impossible without justice. Justice is impossible without holding accountable those who committed this aggression. That's why justice is one of the key points of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's peace formula. Together, we need to develop a legal mechanism of justice and accountability that would encompass all criminals: those who gave orders and those who carried them out. We need a Special International Tribunal to judge the higher political leadership of Russia for the crime of aggression," stated Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal.
Representatives of the EU emphasized their support for Ukraine and discussed specific steps that have already been taken to hold the aggressor country accountable. "The Council of Europe responded immediately. Just a day after the start of the full-scale invasion on February 25th, Russia's membership in the Council of Europe was suspended. And just two weeks later, for the first time in the organization's history, we expelled a member state. The Council of Europe also established a damages register, which has already started operating in The Hague as the first step towards an international mechanism of compensation for the victims of Russian aggression," said Jörg Polakiewicz, Director of Legal Advice and Public International Law of the Council of Europe.
The outcome of the conference was an official communiqué signed by the conference participants.
The conference took place on the third floor of the Parkovy Congress and Exhibition Center. The speakers' presentations were delivered from the stage of the complex's congress and exhibition hall, while the space for the informal part of the event included a large foyer and an open terrace on the third floor.
The event was held under the patronage of the Office of the President of Ukraine.
