On September 25-29, 2023, Nataliia Holubieva, Senior Forensic Expert of the Cherkasy Branch of the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise and Vasyl Kryliuk, Deputy Head of the Environmental Research Laboratory of the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise, took part in the seminar “Environmental Dimension of War Crimes”, which was held in Paris, France, with the support of the Embassy of France in Ukraine. The event was organized by the National School of Judges of France.
The seminar was also attended by: Deputy Prosecutor General (Court of Appeal of Paris), Professor of the University of Saint-Canton (Versailles); judges. Judges; a representative of the Command for Environment and Health (CESAN); a representative of the Central Office for Combating Environmental Attacks on Public Health; representatives of the Central Office for Combating Crimes against Humanity and Hate Crimes (OCLCH); the Head of the Department of Environment, Fire, Explosives (Institute of Criminal Studies of the National Gendarmerie); Director of the Central Office for Combating Environmental and Public Health Offenses (OCLAESP); Specialized Assistant for Criminal Asset Seizures and International Assistance in Criminal Matters at the Paris Criminal Court (Economic and Financial Investigations Division); Specialized Assistant (Paris Criminal Court).
During the seminar, the topics of war crimes against the environment were discussed, namely:
– ecocide, crime against humanity;
– the state of the threat of environmental crime;
– methods of investigation in the combat zone;
– forensic approach to environmental pollution;
– digital evidence;
– criminal analysis;
– asset tracing and seizure of criminal assets;
– reparations for environmental damage;
– environmental consequences of high-intensity conflicts. The war in Ukraine in comparison with the Second World War. Similarities and peculiarities of the wars in terms of the outcome of these wars.
The experts have an important mission to study, document and calculate the damage caused by the Russian Federation to Ukraine in order to obtain reparations.
