Today marks three years since Russia launched its full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine and its civilian population. The International Criminal Justice Initiative (ICJI) condemns Russia’s systemic criminality and calls for a renewed and strengthened commitment to accountability and justice by governments, regional bodies and the international community.

“The Ukrainian government deserves praise and continued support for its unprecedented work investigating and prosecuting so many instances of atrocity crimes during an on-going conflict,” said Amb. (Ret.) Clint Williamson, Senior Director for International Justice at Georgetown University. “There must be no impunity for the atrocity crimes committed during Russia’s full-scale invasion. Justice for the Ukrainian people is not only their right but also a cornerstone for long-term regional peace and stability in Europe.” 

While significant progress has been made, there is still much work ahead. The enormity of documenting, investigating and prosecuting more than 140,000 reports of atrocity crimes – a number tragically increasing with each passing day – will be a generational effort in which, ultimately, the vast majority of cases will be prosecuted in Ukraine. Helping Ukraine’s criminal justice system as it takes on such an enormous caseload will require coordinated, dedicated support. ICJI appeals to funders, including governments, the international community and private philanthropy, to continue to provide financial and other forms of support to accountability efforts in Ukraine.