Action plan for responding to Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

Russian aggression, Ukraine, war, war crimes, action plan, recommendations

Institute for Religious Freedom (IRF Ukraine) prepared an action plan for responding to Russian war crimes in Ukraine. These recommendations are developed as a result of the IRF research on the impact of Russian aggression on faith-based communities in Ukraine since a new wave of the Russian invasion started on February 24, 2022, including the state of freedom of religion on the Crimea peninsula, occupied by Russia in 2014.

The action plan for responding to Russian war crimes in Ukraine:

1. The US Senate and President – to pass, sign, and implement the H.R. 5408 Ukraine Religious Freedom Support Act.

2. The EU and other democratic states – to introduce personal sanctions against Russian officials, religious leaders, media workers, and other individuals who are responsible for justifying and (or) implementing repressions against Ukrainian religious leaders and faith-based communities. 

3. To create a Special Tribunal for the Punishment of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.

4. To facilitate the investigation by the International Criminal Court of any war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide that are perpetrated on the territory of Ukraine.

5. The EU, US, United Kingdom, Japan, and other UN members – to support the efforts of Ukraine in investigating and prosecuting war crimes, crimes of genocide, and crimes against humanity committed during the war of Russia against Ukraine. In particular, through the creation of international mechanisms and tools, as well as the administration of justice, for example, in a format of an international hybrid tribunal for war crimes and other international crimes.

6. The UN and OSCE – to demand Russia to provide unhindered access to the occupied Ukrainian territories, including Crimea, and the people detained there for independent monitoring missions to observe the situation with religious freedom and other human rights.

7. Ukraine – with the goal of criminal prosecution of persons guilty of committing war crimes, crimes of genocide, and crimes against humanity, it is appropriate for the Parliament of Ukraine to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and for the President of Ukraine – to sign the Law on the Implementation of the Norms of International Criminal and Humanitarian Law, adopted by the Parliament of Ukraine on May 20, 2021 (draft law # 2689).