Ukraine acquires new tool for global pursuit of Russian criminals

The global legal system has long demanded the adoption of such a document. 74 years ago, the Genocide Convention and the Geneva Conventions were adopted, and this year marks the 25th anniversary of the Rome Statute, but wars continue to shake the planet.

Some existing multilateral treaties contain provisions on mutual legal assistance and extradition, such as the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the UN Convention against Corruption. The current Ljubljana-Hague Convention is a multilateral treaty that provides mechanisms for interstate cooperation for the investigation and prosecution of the most serious international crimes.

As upsetting as it is, Ukraine will be the first beneficiary of the new Convention. We have already registered more than 70,000 war crimes, and the work to investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice is ongoing. This development enables not only the imposition of sentences but also the extradition of war criminals from any corner of the globe.

The treaty ensures that states cooperate in the investigation and punishment, and that courts, pre-trial investigation agencies, and prosecutors receive international legal assistance in collecting evidence. It also provides for the extradition of persons suspected or convicted of offenses under the Convention from all continents.

This Convention should become one of the main components of a comprehensive system that Ukraine is working on to bring Russia and its political and military leadership to inevitable accountability. It should become another instrument of retribution along with the Rome Statute, the Special Tribunal, and the International Compensation Mechanism.

Today, a legal basis is being developed for the confiscation of Russia's sovereign assets frozen around the world to pay compensation to war victims. Through the entire system of punishment, Russia will be held accountable for all war crimes and obliged to compensate for all losses.