Event

Justice for Ukraine: Supporting survivors of war crimes and building international solidarity

This event hosted by UK think tank Chatham House explores how a transitional justice policy can bolster survivor support and global solidarity with Ukraine.

Four years after Russia’s full‑scale invasion, the humanitarian toll remains immense. More than 200,000 documented atrocities – including torture, sexual violence, and forced deportations – pose an overwhelming challenge for justice efforts.

The new tribunal faces immense challenges. The scale of violations raises urgent questions about how to deliver meaningful, victim‑centred justice without overloading the legal system.

Transitional justice offers a holistic approach, combining prosecutions with truth‑seeking, reparations, and institutional reform.

This session will examine why Ukraine should adopt such a framework now. Key questions include:

• How can Ukraine prioritise 200,000+ atrocity cases to ensure meaningful justice without paralysing the judiciary?
• What mechanisms exist to enforce verdicts if Russian leaders remain inside Russia and beyond arrest?
• What happens if the Claims Commission awards major damages but Russia refuses to pay?
• How can reparations be integrated into a wider strategy of truth‑seeking, memorialisation, and potential future negotiations?
• How might a robust transitional justice policy help engage ‘Global Majority’ states wary of Western‑led legal initiatives?

Speakers

Event chaired by Jaroslava Barbieri.

Jaroslava Barbieri – Research Fellow, Ukraine Forum, Russia and Eurasia Programme

Kateryna Busol – Former Academy Associate, Russia and Eurasia Programme

Veronika Plotnikova – Head, Coordinator Center for the Support of Victims and Witnesses, Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine

Anna Myriam Roccatello – Deputy Executive Director and Director of Programs, International Center for Transitional Justice