Three years after the start of a full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine, Polish and global law enforcement authorities proceed their intensive efforts to bring perpetrators to criminal responsibility. The National Prosecutor's Office has issued a communication on this matter.
The Mazowiecki Branch of the Department for Organized Crime and Corruption of the National Prosecutor's Office conducts the investigation of the signature 1001-105.Ds.12.2022 concerning war crimes and assault war. The investigation covers the actions of the highest authorities and officers of the Russian Federation who have committed crimes against peace, humanity and war crimes.
In the course of the proceedings, conducted in cooperation with the interior safety Agency, the Police Headquarters, global organisations, technological institutes and non-governmental organisations, many evidence of the crimes committed was collected. Investigators have interviewed over 3,000 witnesses and identified nearly 40 cases bearing war crimes.
Polish prosecutors and experts from the Police office participated twice in procedural activities in Ukraine. Thanks to the usage of modern technologies, specified as 3D scanners, it was possible to accurately paper the scale of harm to civilian infrastructure.
In order to conduct the investigation more effectively, a Joint Investigation squad (JIT) was established on 25 March 2022, which initially formed Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania. Its task is to facilitate cooperation between prosecutors of states investigating Russian aggression. The JIT was supported by the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Justice in Criminal Matters (Eurojust).
In the following months, the band joined:
- International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague,
- Latvia, Estonia, Slovakia and Romania,
- The United States Department of Justice, which signed a cooperation and coordination agreement with JIT in March 2023.
International cooperation includes not only the exchange of evidence but besides technological and legal support. The squad has a key function to play in the activities of the global Centre for the Prosecution of Aggression Crimes against Ukraine (ICPA) and the CICED evidence base that Eurojust manages. These tools let for collecting, analyzing and storing evidence of the most serious war crimes.
As the investigation progresses, prosecutors and global law experts are gathering evidence that may service as evidence for future indictments. The aim of the action is to bring not only direct perpetrators of war crimes to justice, but besides political and military decision-makers liable for force against Ukraine. Investigators announce further actions to paper further violations of global law and support Ukraine in the process of investigating justice.
