The Asser Institute welcomes groups of Ukrainian investigators, prosecutors and judges

A group of Ukrainian judges will be hosted this week by the Asser Institute for exchange meetings and study visits. Last week, a cohort of Ukrainian investigators and prosecutors made their way to The Hague for a similar experience. During the course of these events, participants have the opportunity to visit several international organisations based in The Hague and to engage in exchange sessions with Dutch and international experts on international criminal law.

The exchange meetings and study visits are part of the MATRA-Ukraine project, a joint initiative of the T.M.C. Asser Instituut and Global Rights Compliance (GRC), funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The objective of this project is to enhance the capacity of criminal justice actors and other experts in Ukraine to investigate, prosecute, adjudicate, monitor and report on international crimes, by providing them with technical and strategic expertise.

Fruitful exchanges at the headquarters of different international organisations

Various international organisations welcome the participants to facilitate the exchange of expertise relevant to the daily work carried out by Ukrainian investigators, prosecutors and judges. Participants from both groups have visited and will continue to do so different institutions, including but not restricted to Eurojust, the International Criminal Court, Europol, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, the International Commission on Missing Persons or the Netherlands Forensic Institute.

Numerous Ukrainian investigators and prosecutors have underscored the significance of these study visits. According to the former, these engagements have provided them with a deeper understanding of international initiatives aimed at ensuring accountability for international crimes committed in and against Ukraine. Such interactions consequently facilitate the enhancement of cooperation and the establishment of synergies between national authorities and international organisations actively working on the ground in Ukraine. 

National and international legal experts engage in discussions with participants

Different exchange meetings take place at the Asser Institute during these two weeks between the participants and Dutch and international experts in international law. These meetings focus on the areas where participants encounter the greatest challenges for their daily work and are led by experts from various institutions, such as the Netherlands Public Prosecution Service, The Hague District Court, Amnesty International or Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Some of the topics discussed include the protection of witnesses and victims, the different modes of liability under international law for international crimes, open-source investigation techniques, the drafting of judgments for international crimes cases, or the functioning of courts during occupation and the trials for collaborators.

Future projects

In the upcoming months, further initiatives falling within the scope of the MATRA-Ukraine project will be implemented. These encompass, among others, the implementation of trainings for Ukrainian defence lawyers, civil society organisations and journalists, as well as the provision of strategic advice to the Ukrainian judiciary and Office of the Prosecutor General.

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