Fighting impunity

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Mass atrocities have been perpetrated by the Russian armed forces in Ukrainian territory. These crimes cannot go unpunished and all perpetrators must be held accountable, as there can be no lasting peace without justice. That is why France, true to its long-standing commitment to fighting impunity, has since the start of the conflict been working to provide concrete assistance to Ukrainian and international courts.

In the days following the discovery in April 2022 of the atrocities perpetrated by the Russian armed forces in Bucha and the other Ukrainian cities freed from Russian occupation, France sent a team of technical investigators and forensic experts from the French Forensic Science Institute (IRCGN) to share their expertise in the area of identifying and gathering evidence. A second such mission was subsequently deployed in the Kharkiv region, particularly in Izium.

The Crisis and Support Centre of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has also donated two mobile laboratories for DNA analysis to the Office of the Prosecutor General in Ukraine in order to help identify victims and gather evidence.

France is also helping to train Ukrainian prosecutors and investigators in the area of war crimes.

France’s commitment can also be seen through its increased human, material and financial support for international courts: in addition to its annual contribution of over €13 million, France made an exceptional financial contribution of €500,000 to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and provided several magistrates and investigators to the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC.

The fight against impunity is an essential one. France will continue to stand alongside the Ukrainian and international courts to fully support the essential work of the justice system.

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