Problems of Russian Aggression Investigation against Ukraine


Keywords: Russian aggression; war crimes; military offense; investigation; Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court; criminalistics.

Abstract

Current state of investigation of military, war and other crimes caused by Russian aggression against Ukraine is studied, legal and procedural issues of their investigation are outlined. Attention is drawn to the national, foreign and international nature of the investigation of such crimes, which indicates their scale and complexity. Issues that arisen due because of conducting of hostilities on Ukrainian territory and their consequences were also considered (danger of investigative actions, lack of qualified personnel, the existence of a significant number of refugees and temporarily displaced persons, etc.). The purpose of tis research is related to beginning of the unprovoked large-scale war of Russian Federation against Ukraine and the need to bring to criminal responsibility the persons responsible for its resolution, which involves the investigation of war, military and other crimes on the territory of Ukraine and requires the solution of certain urgent problems. Particular attention is paid to Ukrainian unsuccessful attempts to ratify and implement the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which can complicate the assessment of socially dangerous actions in accordance with the Criminal Code of Ukraine and the requirements of the International Criminal Court and hinder the creation of a legal basis for bringing the aggressor to criminal responsibility. In this context, the criminal procedural legislation needs changes that will facilitate the conduct of investigative and judicial actions under martial law conditions, as well as the introduction of electronic justice in Ukraine (in particular, the use of video communication and the provision of information during the transmission and collection of convincing data).

References

Antonov, A. (2018). Russia’s Aggression Against Ukraine. State Responsibility, Individual Responsibility and Accountability. Scrutinizing Ukraine’s Application at the ICJ, Ukraine’s Acceptance of the ICC’s Jurisdiction Pursuant to Art. 12(3) of the Rome Statute and the Role of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission. Master’s thesis. Odense.
Barabash, I., Serdiuk, O., Steshenko, V. (2020). Ukraine in European human rights regime: Breaking path dependence from Russia. The EU in the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities for the European Integration Process. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-38399-2_14.
Diialnist Robochoi hrupy z pytan rozvytku kryminalnoho prava [Activities of the Working Group on the Development of Criminal Law]. URL: https:// newcriminalcode.org.ua/ar ticle/ diyalnist-robochoyi-grupy-z-pytan- rozvytku-kryminalnogo-prava-i86 [in Ukrainian].
Frangež, D., Lindav, B. (2019). The Science of Criminal Investigation between Theory and Practice in Slovenia. Journal of Criminal Investigation and Criminology. № 70.
Gross, G. (2002). Rukovodstvo dlia sudebnykh sledovatelei kak sistema kriminalistiki [Manual for forensic investigators as a system of criminalistics]. Moskva [in Russian].
International Criminal Court Report on Preliminary Examination Activities 2016 (2016). A First Printed Criminalist. № 13.
International Criminal Court Report on Preliminary Examination Activities 2017 (2017). A First Printed Criminalist. № 15.
International Criminal Court Report on Preliminary Examination Activities 2018 (2018). A First Printed Criminalist. № 17.
International Criminal Court Report on Preliminary Examination Activities 2019 (2019). A First Printed Criminalist. № 19.
Iryna Venediktova ta Prokuror Mizhnarodnoho kryminalnoho sudu pobuvaly na mistsiakh vchynennia voiennykh zlochyniv RF na Kyivshchyni [Iryna Venediktova and the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court visited the sites of war crimes of the Russian Federation in Kyiv region] / Ofits. sait Ofisu Henprokurora. URL: https://www.gp.gov.ua/ua/ posts/irina-venediktova-ta-prokuror- miznarodnogo-kriminalnogo-sudu- pobuvali-na-miscyax-vcinennya- vojennix-zlociniv-rf-na-kiyivshhini [in Ukrainian].
PACE calls for the setting up of an ad hoc international criminal tribunal to hold to account perpetrators of the crime of aggression against Ukraine / Official website of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. URL: https:// pace.coe.int/en/news/8699/pace- calls-for-the-setting-up-of-an-ad-hoc- international-criminal-tribunal-to- hold-to-account-perpetrators-of-the- crime-of-aggression-against-ukraine.
Pryiniato Zakon «Pro vnesennia zmin do deiakykh zakonodavchykh aktiv Ukrainy shchodo implementatsii norm mizhnarodnoho kryminalnoho ta humanitarnoho prava» [On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on the Implementation of International Criminal and Humanitarian Law was adopted] / Ofits. sait Verkhovnoi Rady Ukrainy. URL: https://www.rada.gov.ua/news/ Povidomlennya/208710.html [in Ukrainian].
Reiss, R. A. (2016). Report Upon the Atrocities Committed by the Austro-Hungarian Army During the First Invasion of Serbia. London.
Report on Preliminary Examination Activities (2020) – Ukraine / International Criminal Court. URL: https://www. icc-cpi.int/news/report-preliminary- examination-activities-2020-ukraine.
Rymskyi statut mizhnarodnoho kryminalnoho sudu [Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court] : zatv. 17.07.1998 r.; chynnyi dlia Ukrainy z 01.07.2002 r. (zi zmin. ta dopov.). URL: https://zakon. rada.gov.ua/laws/show/995_588#Text [in Ukrainian].
Senatorova, O. Yurysdyktsiia Mizhnarodnoho kryminalnoho sudu shchodo sytuatsii zbroinoho konfliktu v Ukraini [Jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court regarding the situation of armed conflict in Ukraine]. Rymskyi statut Mizhnarodnoho kryminalnoho sudu: problemy implementatsii do natsionalnoho zakonodavstva Ukrainy : mat-ly dyskus. paneli IV Kharkivsk. mizhnar. yuryd. forumu (Kharkiv, 25.09.2020). Kharkiv [in Ukrainian].
Shepitko, M. (2021). Criminal Law Defense of International Criminal Court Activities. Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court: Problems of Implementation to the National Legislation of Ukraine : Scientific Reports
of Discussion Panel of the IV Kharkiv International Legal Forum (Kharkiv, 25 Sept. 2020). Kharkiv.
Shepitko, V., Shepitko, M. (2021). Doktryna kryminalistyky ta sudovoi ekspertyzy: formuvannia, suchasnyi stan i rozvytok v Ukraini [Doctrine of criminalistics and forensic examination: formation, current state and development in Ukraine]. Pravo Ukrainy. № 8. DOI: 10.33498/louu-2021- 08-012 [in Ukrainian].
Statement of ICC Prosecutor, Karim A. A. Khan QC, on the Situation in Ukraine: Additional Referrals from Japan and North Macedonia; Contact portal launched for provision of information / Official website of ICC. URL: https://www.icc- cpi.int/news/statement-icc-prosecutor- karim-aa-khan-qc-situation-ukraine- additional-referrals-japan-and.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy initiates creation of a special mechanism to help bring to justice those involved in crimes against the Ukrainian people. URL: https://www. president.gov.ua/news/volodimir- zelenskij-iniciyuye-stvorennya- specialnogo-mehaniz-74057.
Zadorozhnii O. (2015). Aneksiia Krymu — mizhnarodnyi zlochyn [Annexation of Crimea is international crime] : monohrafiia. Kyiv [in Ukrainian].
Zhuravel, V. (2020). Crime mechanism as a category of criminalistics. Journal of the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine. № 27 (3). DOI: 10.37635/ jnalsu.27(3).2020.142-154.

Abstract views: 132
PDF Downloads: 99 PDF Downloads: 66
Published
2022-12-22
How to Cite
Shepitko, M. (2022). Problems of Russian Aggression Investigation against Ukraine. Theory and Practice of Forensic Science and Criminalistics, 27(2), 32-43. https://doi.org/10.32353/khrife.2.2022.03