Ukrainian Prisoners of War (POWs): International Law Mechanisms for Safeguarding, Redress, Accountability and Compensation

Event Details

BIICL is holding a follow-up programme to its successful November 2024 roundtable on Ukrainian POWs, exploring international law mechanisms for safeguarding the rights of prisoners, avenues for redress, accountability for war crimes as well as compensation mechanisms for victims.

We will hear evidence, including first-hand accounts, of Russia's violations of the Geneva Convention from a Ukrainian veteran and former POW held in Russian captivity, from a legal advisor to Ukrainian POWs on the Olenivka Prison war crime, and from the directors of NGOs on the problems searching for missing persons, establishing the whereabouts of of military and civilian prisoners of war, and access to and arranging the release of POWs.

We will also discuss how to deploy international legal mechanisms to ensure that the status and release of POWs is top of the agenda of any future peace talks.

Speakers will include:

• Nestor Barchuk, Legal Advisor and International Relations Manager of the Azov Brigade
  
• Dr. Kateryna Busol, British Academy Research Fellow, BIICL
• Dr. Oleg Gushchyn, Legal Counsellor, The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War
  
• Anastasiia Holishevska, Director of the M.I.S.T. Foundation
  
• Valerii Horishnii, Senior Sergeant of the 12th Special Purpose Brigade "Azov" of the National Guard of Ukraine, defender of Mariupol (2022), former POW held in Russian captivity from May 2022 to September 2024
  
• Alla Makukh, Head of the NGO "All-Ukrainian Public Movement of Mothers and Relatives of ATO Participants "Berehynia"
  
• Tetyana Nesterchuk, Barrister at Fountain Court Chambers
  
• Ewelina Ochab, Programme Lawyer, Human Rights Institute
  
• Kateryna Prokopenko, Civil activist, Head of the NGO Association of Azovstal Defenders' Families.
• Lesya Zaburanna MP, Member of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Member of Ukraine's delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

   
This meeting is convened by Maria Tymofiienko, Head of Projects, Ukrainian International Law Response, BIICL

Registration

This is a closed event, open only to invited guests.