Since the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation in February 2022, the international community is seeking ways to hold Russia accountable for the various breaches of international law that are a consequence of this illegal war of aggression. While the International Criminal Court has jurisdiction to prosecute the crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes occurring in this conflict on Ukrainian territory, it cannot exercise its jurisdiction over the crime of aggression. This has led to calls to establish a special tribunal to prosecute individuals responsible for the crime of aggression, with such calls emphasizing the legacy of the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg in 1945-1946. Whereas a first suggestion in this direction was made by a group of lawyers, politicians and public intellectuals assembled by Philippe Sands, this suggestion has also gained diplomatic traction. It is supported by the Ukrainian government as well as a number of other states and the European Parliament. At the same time, the path towards the creation of such a tribunal is not straightforward. Practical hurdles remain as well as legal challenges which need to be addressed.

This public event, organized at Freie Universität Berlin, seeks to provide a forum for a critical and reflective discussion of these issues. It involves presentations by Ukrainian government officials, civil society members as well as comments from academia. The audience will be invited to ask questions and participate in the debate. The discussion will be followed by an informal reception sponsored by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

Speakers:      

• Prof. Dr. Günter M. Ziegler, President of Freie Universität Berlin (Welcome address)
• Prof. Dr. Helmut Philipp Aust, Freie Universität Berlin (Introduction and moderator)
• Head of Office of the President of Ukraine Mr. Andrii Yermak 
• Deputy Head of Office of the President of Ukraine Mr. Andrii Smyrnov
• Mr. Anton Korynevych, PhD in International Law, Ambassador-at-Large, International Lawyer
• Ms. Maria Mezentseva, Head of the Permanent Delegation of Ukraine to PACE
• Ms. Oleksandra Drik, Civil Liberties Center (CLC)
• Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Christian Tomuschat, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Date and place: Thursday, 1 December 2022, 18:15-19:45 CET, Henry Ford Building, Garystr. 35, Lecture Hall C.

Please register using this link: HERE or use  

For media contact and other inquiries please contact sekretariat.aust@rewiss.fu-berlin.de