The conference “From Documentation to Accountability – Supporting the Ukrainian Justice System in Prosecuting Crimes Committed in Ukraine” brought together representatives of the Polish and Ukrainian justice systems, legal professionals, academics, and civil society to discuss practical and systemic challenges related to documenting and prosecuting war crimes committed in Ukraine.
The event was opened by Waldemar Żurek, Minister of Justice of Poland, Vasyl Bodnar, Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland, Włodzimierz Chróścik, President of the Krajowa Izba Radców Prawnych as the co-organizer of the conference, and Andriy Kosylo, Member of the Executive Board of the Foundation Sunflowers.
In his opening remarks, Andriy Kosylo invited participants to observe a minute of silence to honor the victims of the war in Ukraine — a solemn moment that set the tone for the discussions that followed.
The substantive part of the conference began with a screening of the documentary film “In Your Name: Justice in Wartime”, produced by the EU project Pravo-Justice. The film portrays the daily work and extraordinary challenges faced by Ukrainian judges administering justice during wartime. Before the screening, Olha Sribniak of the Pravo-Justice Project shared insights into the making of the documentary and the context behind its production.
The panel discussion that followed gathered distinguished experts and practitioners, including Deputy General Prosecutor of Poland Jacek Bilewicz, Professor Ewelina Cała-Wacinkiewicz of the National Council of Attorneys-at-Law, Judge of the Supreme Court Prof. Paweł Wiliński, who is the Chair of the Council of the Foundation Sunflowers, Olha Sribniak, Judge Dr. Maryna Bondarenko (joining online), Prof. Oksana Kvasha from the High Council of Justice of Ukraine, Jarosław Bittel – Head of the Lemkin Centre, and Myroslava Keryk from the Ukrainian House Foundation.
The discussion was moderated by journalist Bianka Zalewska, who guided the debate on accountability mechanisms, international cooperation, evidentiary standards, and the institutional resilience of the Ukrainian judiciary.
Participants included representatives of the Polish and Ukrainian justice systems, prosecutors, advocates, attorneys-at-law, institutions documenting crimes committed in Ukraine, members of the academic community in Poland, and non-governmental organizations engaged in rule of law and human rights protection.
The media patron of the event was Prawo.pl, and the venue was provided by the Polska Izba Rzeczników Patentowych.
The conference created an important platform for dialogue and reaffirmed the shared commitment of Polish and Ukrainian partners to strengthening accountability, supporting judicial independence, and ensuring justice for victims of war crimes.
