Ministerka na zasadnutí zmluvných strán Medzinárodného trestného súdu
Za účasti viac než 40 krajín sa dnes popoludní uskutočnilo stretnutie skupiny zmluvných strán Medzinárodného trestného súdu. Témou rokovania, aj za účasti prokurátora Medzinárodného trestného súdu, A. Khana a predsedu Eurojustu, L. Hamrana, bolo vyšetrovanie situácie na Ukrajine a vojnových zločinov páchaných agresorom – Ruskou federáciou. Stretnutia sa zúčastnila aj ministerka spravodlivosti Mária Kolíková.
Viacero účastníkov stretnutia vrátane ministerky Kolíkovej podporili potrebu koordinácie vyšetrovania vojnových zločinov. V tejto oblasti by mal kľúčovú úlohu zohrávať Eurojust, a to aj pomocou spoločných vyšetrovacích tímov a aktívnou spoluprácou s Medzinárodným trestným súdom, Ukrajinou a inými štátmi.
Ministri a najvyšší predstavitelia rezortov spravodlivosti štátov Európskej únie, vrátane ministerky Márie Kolíkovej, sa spoločne podpísali pod koordinované vyhlásenie, iniciované predsedajúcou krajinou v Rade Európskej únie – Francúzskom. V tomto stanovisku krajiny jasne odsudzujú ruskú agresiu a pripisujú zodpovednosť za vojnové zločiny a utrpenie ukrajinského ľudu práve Ruskej federácii. Ministri v snahe zabrániť beztrestnosti za spáchané zločiny v spoločnom vyhlásení vyzdvihujú promptnosť otvorenia vyšetrovania a ochotu členských krajín spájať kapacity s cieľom dosiahnutia efektívneho a Eurojustom koordinovaného vyšetrovania, a neskôr stíhania trestných činov páchaných Ruskou federáciou. Predseda Eurojustu Ladislav Hamran ocenil promptnosť členských štátov Európskej únie pri konaní voči Rusku: „Dnešné stretnutie je dôkazom, že medzinárodné spoločenstvo už ďalej nebude rozprávať, ale je pripravené konať.“
Pripájame plné znenie koordinovaného vyhlásenia ministrov spravodlivosti členských štátov EÚ v angličtine:
Statement by Eric Dupond-Moretti, Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius, Marjan Dikaučič, Nadejda Iordanova, Jānis Bordāns, Marcin Romanowski, Evelina Dobrovolska, Sam Tanson, Pilar Llop Cuenca, Morgan Johansson, Richard Krpač, Ivan Malenica, Kostas Tsiaras, Marta Cartabia, Maris Lauri, Alma Zadić, Helen McEntee, Katja Keul, Anna-Maja Henriksson, the Portuguese Ministry of Justice, Maria Kolíková, Edward Zammit Lewis, Nick Hækkerup, Vincent Van Quickenborne, Cătălin Marian Predoiu, Stephie Drakos and Denys Maliuska on the occasion of the meeting of like-minded International Ministers Group on War Crimes.
Today French minister of Justice Eric Dupond-Moretti as president of the EU Council, Netherlands minister of Justice and Security Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius as hosting country for the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Slovenian Minister of Justice Marjan Dikaučič, Bulgarian Minister of Justice Nadejda Iordanova, Minister of Justice of the Republic of Latvia Jānis Bordāns, Polish Undersecretary of State Ministry of Justice Marcin Romanowski, Lithuanian Minister of Justice Evelina Dobrovolska, Luxembourg Minister of Justice Sam Tanson, Spanish Minister of Justice Pilar Llop Cuenca, Swedish Minister for Justice and Home Affairs Morgan Johansson, Czech Deputy Minister of Justice Richard Krpač, Croatian Minister of Justice and Public Administration Ivan Malenica, Greek Minister of Justice Kostas Tsiaras, Italian Minister of Justice Marta Cartabia, Estonian Minister of Justice Maris Lauri, Austrian Federal Minister of Justice Alma Zadić, Irish Minister for Justice Helen McEntee, German Deputy Minister of the Federal Foreign Office Katja Keul, Finnish Minister of Justice Anna-Maja Henriksson, the Portuguese Ministry of Justice, Slovak Minister of Justice Maria Kolíková, Maltese Minister for Justice and Governance Edward Zammit Lewis, Danish Minister of Justice Nick Hækkerup, Belgian Minister of Justice Vincent Van Quickenborne, Romanian Minister of Justice Cătălin Marian Predoiu, Cypriot Minister of Justice and Public Order Stephie Drakos and Ukrainian Minister of Justice Denys Maliuska attended either in person, virtually or represented an international like-minded meeting in support of the investigation by the ICC Prosecutor.
We know that the worst human rights violations happen during armed conflict. The reports and images of Russia’s unprecedented and unlawful war of aggression on Ukraine are horrific. For us it is crystal clear: Russia bears full responsibility for this war of aggression and the suffering of the Ukrainian people. Those directly responsible for war crimes and violations of human rights and international humanitarian law on Ukrainian soil must be held accountable. And victims must have access to remedy and justice.
The swiftness with which 41 States Parties, including all EU member states, referred the situation sends the important message that there can be no impunity for core international crimes, which is underlined by the fact that the number of States that have referred the situation continues to increase. This referral is not just symbolic but helped expedite the opening of the investigation which in turn will benefit the fact-finding and evidence-gathering that forms the cornerstone to fighting impunity. Ministers collectively recalled their support for the International Criminal Court.
Eurojust is a key player in ensuring the most effective coordination of investigations in EU Member States into these alleged war crimes. All the tools available to Eurojust (coordination meetings, joint investigation teams, etc.) must be deployed. Its action can also benefit to third States, which have cooperation agreements with the agency, as well as to the International Criminal Court. Eurojust was thus invited to step up and fully exercise its coordinating role and to make itself available as required to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in connection with the exercise of his duties.
France, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Latvia, Poland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, Czech Republic, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Estonia, Austria, Ireland, Germany, Finland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Malta, Denmark, Belgium, Romania and Cyprus engage themselves to carry out all necessary efforts to consider to increase their support to the ICC, both financially and regarding human resources.
Ukrainian Minister of Justice Denys Maliuska stated:
‘Ukraine in its turn acknowledges its commitments to conduct effective investigations into all war crimes and crimes against humanity carried out in its territory and expresses readiness to ensure cooperation with the ICC at the best level.
Ukraine is confident that the efforts of the territorial state (Ukraine) combined with the exercise of universal jurisdiction by other states, Eurojust and speedier ICC investigation have the potential of a powerful synergetic effect. The crime of aggression against Ukraine must not remain unpunished as it contains ‘the accumulated evil” of other crimes under international law.’
In the name of the presidency of the Council of the European Union, Minister Dupond-Moretti stated:
‘The presidency of the Council of the European Union wants to stress the unique role that Eurojust can play in the collection of evidence regarding alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Eurojust has a recognized experience in bringing together national investigations in order to support prosecution by ensuring effective coordination and can work in close contact both with Member States’ judicial authorities, Ukrainian prosecutor and the prosecution office of the ICC in order to ensure that war crimes are brought to justice’
Eurojust President Mr Ladislav Hamran stated:
‘Today’s meeting confirms that the international community is done talking and ready to take action. While we are united in our ambition to get justice done for Ukraine, we also need to be coordinated – both at the political and at the operational level. Eurojust supports the EU Member States in their investigations into core international crimes and as we speak, we see these cases progressing from the planning stage to concrete operational cooperation. Throughout our efforts, we will continue to work closely with the ICC.’
