The Hague, Netherlands (AP) — The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and the European Union’s judicial cooperation agency Eurojust has launched a set of guidelines for NGOs gathering evidence of atrocities in Ukraine and elsewhere around the world.
Eurojust President Ladislav Hamran said in a statement on Wednesday: “With the war in Ukraine, peace and justice are under the most severe pressure, and accountability for core international crimes and human rights violations is a major challenge for international Criminal justice is more important than ever.”
The guidelines, he said, will be “a key component of efforts by authorities and civil society organisations to gather and preserve information and evidence that may be admissible in court.”
They include advising on approaching and interviewing vulnerable witnesses, handling documents, digital information and items that may become evidence, and the security of storing, analysing and protecting information and potential evidence.
atrocity charges Russian troops fight in nearly seven months of Ukrainian war The incidents have resurfaced in recent days as Ukrainian troops have recaptured parts of their country and uncovered mass graves and possible torture sites.
International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan has launched an investigation in Ukraine and sent a team to collect evidence. Other countries have also supported investigations by sending experts. Prosecutors have not announced any charges related to the conflict.
In March, Eurojust helped form a joint investigation team with Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine. ICC prosecutors also agreed to join the team, expanding in May when Slovakia, Estonia and Latvia joined.
Khan said NGOs are “important partners in our shared goal of international crime accountability. Now more than ever, we must work together to strengthen our collective work for justice.”
___
Follow AP coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
