Preparations For Special Tribunal: Prosecutor General's Office Outlines Communication With Victims

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) Veronika Plotnikova, head of the Coordination Center for the Support of Victims and Witnesses at the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine, said this in comments to an Ukrinform correspondent after taking part in a panel discussion in The Hague, "Committing to Justice for Ukraine: The Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression in Ukraine."

"A trial is first and foremost about evidence. But one form of evidence can be the personal accounts of the most difficult moments experienced by those harmed by the war. Victims themselves cannot always determine whether they have suffered from war crimes, genocide, or the crime of aggression. They simply suffer. They have lost loved ones. Their expectations lie in the realm of justice, in its various forms. Delivering that justice during an ongoing conflict is extremely difficult, but what we can do – and are already doing – is focusing efforts on supporting victims and on building communication between the prosecution (within the current criminal justice system) and the victims themselves," Plotnikova said.

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She recalled that in 2023 the Prosecutor General's Office established a specialized unit focused on the needs of victims.

"This is the first and so far only unit in Ukraine dedicated exclusively to working with victims' needs within the criminal justice system. We started from scratch. Now we have a team of professionals who work with victims of international crimes: people who have survived conflict-related sexual violence; former prisoners of war who were tortured in captivity; civilian hostages; children affected by the war – adopted, deported, or injured; as well as civilians who sustained physical injuries," Plotnikova said.

According to her, a team of specialists has already been formed; nine regional offices have been opened in frontline and de-occupied regions; a referral mechanism has been established to direct victims to over 70 partner organizations; and training for prosecutors on trauma-informed interviewing has begun.

She stressed that special attention is paid to establishing communication between the prosecution and victims.

"What do we do? First of all, we provide psychological and social support. We build communication. Because a lack of information and excessive expectations are our reality. For victims, it is important to understand what comes next: when, how, what stages. Sometimes people cannot imagine how to live under certain circumstances. But if they have at least some idea of the future – not necessarily a detailed plan, but a perspective – it is much easier for them to take part in criminal proceedings and prepare to testify years later. This is a long process. We must support victims so that together we can build truly strong cases," she said.

Plotnikova added that much work still lies ahead.

"Right now, we are working with people who remain in Ukraine. But many Ukrainians are abroad. International cooperation and an understanding of the needs of Ukrainian victims outside the country are extremely important – especially for the future tribunal," she said.

Under Article 11 of the Statute of the Special Tribunal, a Victims and Witnesses Unit will be established within the Secretariat to provide protection measures, other forms of support for witnesses, and to organize victims' representation before the Tribunal.

On June 25, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed an agreement with the Council of Europe in Strasbourg to establish the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.

Photo credit: Iryna Drabok / Ukrinform

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