Donate
Share information
logotype

Tag: en

1686588309437
Webinar
2023-06-21

Freedom of Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom

On 21th of June 2023 the movie “Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom” directed by Evgeny Afineevsky was streamlined. The movie had its premiere at 79th Venice Film Festival, where it was recognized with the Kineo Award, as well at Toronto International Film Festival and many other prestige’s festivals. This movie was made in less than 6 months of production and 3 months of editing with 9 editors around the world in Ukraine / the United States/ Europe, with the last filming done in a war zone on 9th of August 2022. Evgeny Afineevsky earned an Oscar and Emmy nomination in 2016 for WINTER ON FIRE: UKRAINE’S FIGHT FOR FREEDOM, which details the 2013 student uprising that transformed into a violent revolution. He built his moviemaking career on providing a first-hand account of conflict, even if it means putting his own life in danger. The director and his team did everything possible to tell this untold story of Ukraine’s struggle for their freedom and dignity, through the eyes of children and their parents, soldiers, doctors, volunteers, journalists, ordinary people. The movie “Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom” captures eyewitness testimony to the crimes committed in Ukraine, recording the scale of the destruction and the drama of ordinary people whose dream is to live in a free country in peace. The streaming was followed by a Q&A session with Evgeny, who had the opportunity to talk about the making of the movie, its characters and its message. The screening was organised by Project Sunflowers and EU Project Pravo-Justice.

By Maciej Trojanowski0 Comments
1685874482477
Training course
2023-06-06

The Model of Operation of the Project Sunflowers Application Form

On the 6th of June 2023, the informative session was held on “The Model of Operation of the Project Sunflowers Application Form”. During the session it was be explained how the volunteers need to react when a new request to share information online is registered. All volunteers need to be trained of filling in the form, as they all need to be prepared for assisting the victims with filling in the form.

The meeting for volunteers was moderated by Ewa Hofmańska, Ph.D and was a joint event of the Project Sunflowers and EU Project Pravo-Justice.

By Maciej Trojanowski0 Comments
1683552453820
Webinar
2023-05-16

Conference “Bringing Justice for Ukraine”

Join us virtually for the conference BRINGING JUSTICE FOR UKRAINE. CRIME OF AGGRESSION, WAR CRIMES, CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY, GENOCIDE. The conference will take place on May 19, 2023 on the Zoom platform. The event will start at 9:00 CET and end at 15:00 CET.

The aim of the conference is to discuss among Ukrainian and Polish lawyers with the participation of international criminal law experts on practical ways to hold perpetrators of crimes committed in Ukraine accountable.

The organizers of the conference are: the Polish group of AIDP (International Association of Penal Law), Ukrainian group of AIDP, EU Pravo-Justice and our Project Sunflowers.

To register, please, use this link: https://bit.ly/3VH0k8e
The conference is open to the public. It will be conducted in English. Simultaneous translation into Ukrainian will be provided.

By Maciej Trojanowski0 Comments
1683397521622
Training course
2023-05-12

Training in Psychological First Aid

We would like to invite you to a new series of training sessions for Polish volunteers of the Project Sunflowers: working with trauma. The training will be led by Joanna Czaplińska, psychologist and EMDR therapist, and Izabela Trybus, psychotherapist and supervisor, from the Polish Centre for Torture Survivors. This training is the result of the Sunflowers Project’s collaboration with The Polish Centre for Torture Survivors in preparing Sunflowers Project volunteers to work with people who will be filling in the application form to collect information about evidence of crimes committed in Ukraine and their victims.

The first part of the training will take place on 12 May 2023, at 18:00 CET, in a remote format. We will announce the second part of the training later (this part of the training will take place 2-3 weeks apart after the first part of the training). The order of registration is decisive. Places are limited.

The training for English-speaking volunteers will take place on a separate date, which will be announced soon.

To register, please use the following link: bit.ly/3nz4LFC

By Maciej Trojanowski0 Comments
222
Webinar
2023-04-25

Deportation of Ukrainians During the Russian-Ukrainian War

On the 25th of April 2023 the Project Sunflowers, the Pravo-Justice Project and The National School for Judges of Ukraine organized the informative session on Deportation of Ukrainians During the Russian-Ukrainian War. 

Olha Sribniak from the Pravo-Justice Project welcomed the guests and then Iwan Bałakliczkij from the National School of Justice gave also a welcome speech.

The moderator of the webinar was Professor Mykhaylo Shepitko, member of the Executive Board of the Project Sunflowers, a professor in the Department of Criminal Law at Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University and a Leading Staff Researcher of Аcademician Stashis Scientific Research Institute for the Study of Crime Problems (Kharkiv, Ukraine). 

The first speech was given by Professor Michael Bazyler of the Fowler School of Law, Chapman University, California, who was focusing on how forced transfer of children is an act of genocide and talked about how Nuremberg prosecution of  German perpetrators for forced transfer of children in the RuSHA trial (Rasse- und Siedlungshauptamt, the “Race and Settlement Main Office”) against the SS racial policies (officially, United States of America vs. Ulrich Greifelt, et al) established that kidnapping children was crime of genocide – and can also be classified as a crime against humanity. It was the eighth of the twelve trials held in Nuremberg by the U.S. authorities for Nazi war crimes after the end of the World War II. 

The next speaker was Oksana Senatorova, PhD, a founder and Director of the NGO “Centre for International Humanitarian Law and Transitional Justice” (CIHLTJ) and an Associate Professor of the International Law Department at Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University, who is also the co-founder of the Foundation Sunflowers and a member of the Law Commission of Ukraine under the President of Ukraine, a Coordinator of the Working Group on the Protection of Victims of Armed Conflict of the Interdepartmental Commission on Implementation of IHL in Ukraine, responsible for monitoring the current situation of relocating Ukrainian children who spoke about the factual situation of the deportation and forcible transfer of Ukrainian citizens, giving particular attention the outline the legal regulation of the prohibition of deportation and its application in the context of this armed conflict; she also presented the role of the Russian leadership in the deportation of children and highlighted the Ukraine’s current actions in response to these deportations and the gaps in national legislation and practice, and conclude with recommendations.

The webinar was conducted in English with simultaneous translation into Ukrainian. Please, watch the abstract of the webinar.  

By Maciej Trojanowski0 Comments
f778cfcb-d9c9-4099-ab41-3c045bd82adb
Webinar
2023-03-28

Practical Aspects of Admissibility and Assessment of Evidence in War Crimes Trials

On 28 March, 2023, the Project Sunflowers, the Pravo-Justice Project and The National School for Judges of Ukraine organized the informative session on Practical Aspects of Admissibility and Assessment of Evidence in War Crimes Trials.

The moderator of the webinar was Anna Adamska-Gallant, Ph.D., former international judge in Kosovo, head of the Judiciary Component of EU Pravo Justice in Ukraine. Three papers were presented on the meeting. Professor Bartłomiej Krzan of the University in Wrocław, presented the first speech on the history and development of rules of admissibility of evidence before international criminal courts – beginning by the Nuremberg Military Tribunal, through ICTY and ICTR, focusing finally on the rules existing in the procedure before the ICC. The next speaker Dariusz Sielicki, PhD, former international judge in Kosovo, presented a comprehensive analysis of practical problems of admitting evidence in cases of international crimes, such as war crimes and crimes against humanity, on the example of problems that appeared – and had to be solved – before the Supreme Court of Kosovo, giving special attention to problems concerning digital evidence and the way they should be evaluated when it comes to credibility and relevance. The last speaker, Klaus Hoffmann, advisor to the Ukrainian General Prosecutor’s Office on the prosecution of war crimes, developed the issues of practical problems of admissibility of evidence in core crimes trials.

The webinar was conducted in English with simultaneous translation into Ukrainian. Please, watch the abstract of the webinar.

By Maciej Trojanowski0 Comments
effe6cab-64e6-484e-8722-ca759c8d1b6f
Webinar
2023-02-28

Admissibility of Exercising Jurisdiction by the International Criminal Court

On 28 February, 2023, the Project Sunflowers, the Pravo-Justice Project and The National School for Judges of Ukraine organized the webinar on Admissibility of Exercising Jurisdiction by the International Criminal Court.

The introduction was given by Natalia Shuklina, who represented the National School for Judges of Ukraine. The moderator of the webinar was Professor Paweł Wiliński, Chairman of the Foundation Sunflowers Council and Judge of the Criminal Chamber of the Polish Supreme Court, who underlined: “Our goal is to bring those responsible for committing crimes to justice. Therefore, the main question is how to effectively prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of aggression? Which court should hear these cases? Of course, it is worth mentioning the Ukrainian national judicial system. However, when it comes to large-scale crimes, the courts known from the history of international criminal justice come to mind”. Two papers were presented on the meeting. Professor Karolina Wierczyńska began her presentation with the idea of complementarity, which is about finding a balance between the interests of states and the interests of global justice, and then focused on discussing the premises of admissibility, attempting to show that the ICC has already formulated certain criteria for assessing State action. The speaker critically analysed not only the criteria of complementarity (in particular whether the state is acting to prosecute a case), but also other criteria relating to the seriousness of the case. Professor Hanna Kuczyńska, the next speaker, looked at the problem of complementarity of ICC jurisdiction from a practical perspective, analysing the procedure by which the ICC Prosecutor decides whether complementarity should prohibit prosecution before the ICC. Complementarity is thus assessed at two successive stages of proceedings before the ICC: the initiation of an investigation and the issuance of an arrest warrant, when a specific perpetrator is identified and specific criminal acts are indicated. Professor Kuczyńska also presented the potential implications of the existence of national immunities for assessing whether the ‘impossibility to prosecute’ condition of Article 17 of the Rome Statute is met. Her presentation also dealt with the issue of challenging the admissibility of a case – by a State Party, the ICC Prosecutor or an accused person, or against the jurisdiction of the ICC.

The webinar was conducted in English wit simultaneous translation into Ukrainian. This webinar wasn’t recorded.

By Maciej Trojanowski0 Comments
poster.webinar 30.01.2023
Webinar
2023-01-30

Role of the Trust Fund for Victims of the International Criminal Court and Reparations for Victims of Armed Conflicts

On 30 January, 2023, the Project Sunflowers organized the 30 January, 2023 on Role of the Trust Fund for Victims of the International Criminal Court and Reparations for Victims of Armed Conflicts.

Introduction was given by Marina Lostal, Ph.D., experienced reparation for victims of armed conflicts’ expert. Key note speech was delivered by Franziska Eckelmans, acting Executive Director of the Trust Fund for Victims (TFV). Legal officers of the ICC: Adeline Bedoucha, Cheihk Fall and Tars van Litsenbourg shared their experiences of working with victims of armed conflicts. Franziska Eckelmans began her presentation by defining the term ‘reparations’ and then focused on the role of the TFV, its organisation, mandates and main activities. Adeline Bedoucha provided the context for the reparation case of Al Mahdi, who was found guilty as a co-perpetrator of the war crime consisting in intentionally directing attacks against religious and historic buildings in Timbuktu, Mali, in June and July 2012. Ms Bedoucha then focused on the practical aspects of working with victims, stressing the importance of contacting victims as closely as possible to the time at which reparations will be ordered or delivered, and the importance of not raising expectations about future reparations. She also shared the methodology used in communicating with victims. The floor was then taken by Cheihk Fall, who presented the context of the Lubanga case. Mr. Lubanga was found guilty of the war crime of enlisting and conscripting children under the age of 15 years and using them to participate actively in hostilities (child soldiers). The speaker outlined the role of victims’ representatives, who should maintain regular contact with victims and remain flexible in dealing with victims’ reported remedies. He also drew attention to choosing the right moment to contact victims, but above all he addressed the message to try to see the person not only as a victim of an atrocity, but above all to see the person as a human being. Then, Tars van Listenbourgh provided the context for the reparation case of Katanga, who was found guilty, as an accessory, of one count of crime against humanity: murder; and four counts of war crimes: murder, attacking a civilian population, destruction of property and pillaging, committed on 24 February 2003 during the attack on the village of Bogoro, in the Ituri district of the Democratic Republic of the Kongo. Mr van Litsenbourgh, based on his experience in dealing with victims in the Katanga case, highlighted the flexibility that the legal representative of victims, but also anyone who comes into contact with victims in the reparation process, should have. Flexibility allows for the different needs of victims to be taken into account, and these can change over time. The speaker also spoke about the trust that victims of armed conflicts have in their legal representatives and the authority involved in the reparation process. Gaining trust, in turn, is possible through ongoing contact with victims.

The webinar was conducted in English with simultaneous translation into Polish and Ukrainian. Please, watch the abstract of the webinar.

By Maciej Trojanowski0 Comments
3225d8f2-5d67-4dea-bf0c-4e6f690627c7
Training course
2022-11-25

Training in Psychological First Aid

Project Sunflowers invites first responders to a training on psychological first aid (PPP/FPA) for people experiencing the war in Ukraine.

The training will take place on Friday, 25 November 2022, from 15:00 – 19:00, in Warsaw (the exact address of the training will be provided in the return email after registration). The training will be led by Dr Kateryna Krakhmalova and Maria Wolkowicz, trainers certified by the International Medical Corps. Participants of the training will learn how to talk to people experiencing war so as not to aggravate their trauma, according to the principle “first of all do no harm”, and how to take care of their mental health while listening to traumatic events.

The training is free of charge. It will be conducted in Polish.
Places are limited. Below is the link to register.
https://www.ora-warszawa.com.pl/swp25

By Maciej Trojanowski0 Comments
szkolenie.04.11.2022.lnkdn (1)
Training course
2022-11-04

Training in Psychological First Aid

Project Sunflowers invites first responders to a training on psychological first aid (PPP/FPA) for people experiencing the war in Ukraine.

The training will take place on Friday, 4 November 2022, from 15:00 – 19:00, in Warsaw (the exact address of the training will be provided in the return email after registration). The training will be led by Dr Kateryna Krakhmalova and Maria Wolkowicz, trainers certified by the International Medical Corps. Participants of the training will learn how to talk to people experiencing war so as not to aggravate their trauma, according to the principle “first of all do no harm”, and how to take care of their mental health while listening to traumatic events.

The training is free of charge. It will be conducted in Polish.
Places are limited. Below is the link to register.
https://www.ora-warszawa.com.pl/swp

By Maciej Trojanowski0 Comments