The United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union have announced a joint initiative to strengthen current efforts to ensure Russia and its military forces are held accountable for war crimes committed during Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine.
The "overarching mission" of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group (ACA) "is to support the War Crimes Units of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine (OPG) in its investigation and prosecution of conflict-related crimes," according to a joint statement by the U.S., U.K. and EU and released by the U.S. Department of State (DOS) on May 25.
Under the ACA, a multinational group of war-crimes experts will work with OPG specialists in primarily two capacities, the joint statement reports. An Advisory Group, comprised of ""(e)xperienced senior war crimes prosecutors, investigators, military analysts, forensic specialists, and other experts" will "provide expertise, mentoring, advice and operational support to the OPG" and others, the statement reports. Mobile Justice Teams, groups of international and Ukrainian experts, will conduct field investigations at the request of the OPG, according to the statement.
“This initiative will directly support efforts by the Ukrainian Office of the Prosecutor General to document, preserve, and analyze evidence of war crimes and other atrocities committed by members of Russia’s forces in Ukraine, with a view toward criminal prosecutions,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in the statement. “The ACA is an essential element of the United States’ commitment that those responsible for such crimes will be held to account.”
Sec. Blinken stated in a DOS announcement released at the time of the joint statement that the DOS and Department of Justice (DOJ) will work with allies "to support the pursuit of justice and accountability" in investigating and prosecuting atrocities in Ukraine. He
Blinken reports in the statement that initially Russian military forces bombed civilian populations, causing thousands of civilian deaths. When officials and journalists were able to enter stricken areas, "we saw reports of violence of a different order," Blinken states.
"(C)redible reports of unarmed civilians shot in the back; individuals killed execution-style with their hands bound; bodies showing signs of torture; and horrific accounts of sexual violence against women and girls" Blinken reports in the statement. "Most recently, credible reports are emerging of Ukrainian children being forcibly transferred out of the country."
In addition to serving as an "operational hub" for coordinating technical and legal support to Ukraine in its prosecution of war criminals, the ACA also provides funding and field support for the investigations.
“It is critical to ensure that all those responsible for the terrible atrocities committed during the unprovoked Russian military aggression in Ukraine are brought to justice," EU High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell said in the joint statement. "There can be no impunity for war crimes."
