The conference in Kyiv was organized just a few days after the second anniversary of the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. In addition to the head of the Polish Ministry of Justice, it was attended by, among others, Andriy Kostin, Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Didier Reynders, European Commissioner for Justice, Karim A. A. Khan KC, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, and Ladislav Hamran, President of Eurojust (the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation).

"We are in favour of prosecuting and justly punishing the perpetrators of war crimes, and we are ready to track them down, gather evidence of these crimes, and continue to cooperate in this area," said Minister Adam Bodnar and once again stressed the need to establish a special international tribunal for the crime of aggression, of which the Ukrainian people are the victim.

"The existence of such a court is an important element from the point of view of international responsibility," the minister declared, stating that Poland supports international efforts to establish a court for the crime of aggression and will do its utmost to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC).

A meeting of the international investigative team on war crimes committed by Russians against the Ukrainian people also took place in Kyiv. The team was established by Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania on March 25, 2022 at the Korczowa border crossing. In the following months, the International Criminal Court in The Hague, as well as Latvia, Estonia, Slovakia, and Romania joined the team. In March 2023, the parties signed an agreement on cooperation and coordination with the United States Department of Justice. An agreement extending the team's operation was signed during Thursday's meeting.

Polish prosecutors in the investigative team actively cooperate with prosecutors from the Eurojust and Ukraine using their knowledge of specialized forensic methods in investigations into war crimes.

The Ministry of Justice and Polish law enforcement agencies have also taken steps to prevent impunity for the perpetrators of these crimes and to document them. As part of these activities, the Polish prosecutor's office has initiated criminal proceedings concerning the aggressive war directed against the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of Ukraine.

Poland is also involved in the work of the ICPA (International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine). This organization was established last July at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Under its auspices, independent prosecutors from different countries cooperate to exchange evidence and establish a common investigative and prosecutorial strategy.

The Minister also recalled that tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees staying in our country can testify (before the special tribunal) as part of the investigation against the Russian Federation for crimes committed in Ukraine.

The topic of discussion was also the issue of the quickest possible launch of the register of damages for Ukraine. The register was created under the auspices of the Council of Europe and is to serve as a record of evidence and information on claims for damages, losses or injuries caused by the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Poland’s position, as Minister Bodnar said, is  that the register should also include claims for the destruction of Ukraine's historical and cultural heritage.

Deputy Minister Maria Ejchart, who is responsible for the Polish Prison Service, met with Deputy Minister of Justice of Ukraine Olena Vysotska, an expert in the field of imprisonment, Oleksandr Pavlichenko from the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, and the Head of the Prison Service, Serhiy Hrechaniuk. Accompanied by Mr. Hrechaniuk, Minister Ejchart visited one of the prisons in Kyiv.

Since the beginning of the war, over a thousand officers and employees of the Polish Prison Service have been involved in helping the fighting Ukraine. So far, the support has included (and continues to include): financial and essential goods collections, transportation of refugees from the border, psychological assistance, and blood drives.

The Prison Service officers also joined in helping Ukrainian prison officers. Food and other items necessary for the proper functioning of the local penitentiary system – computer equipment, cars, generators, bulletproof vests, clothing, and footwear – were purchased from the collections and donated to the Ukrainian side. 

Press Office 
Ministry of Justice