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The Enforcement of International Humanitarian Law in Ukraine

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The Enforcement of International Humanitarian Law in Ukraine The Enforcement of International Humanitarian Law in Ukraine The Enforcement of International Humanitarian Law in Ukraine November 2016 This document was prepared by Global Rights Compliance. Global Rights Compliance is registered as a limited liability partnership through Companies House in the United Kingdom, Partnership No. OC388087. Its registered address is Endeavour House, 78 Stafford Road, Wallington, Surrey, United Kingdom, SM6 9AY. This document is available in electronic format in English and Ukrainian at www.globalrightscompliance.com, as well as on Global Rights Compliance’s Facebook page. Disclaimer This publication was funded by the UK Government as part of the “International Criminal Court and International Humanitarian Law Reform” project implemented by Global Rights Compliance LLP. The views expressed in it are those of the author(s) and may not coincide with the official position of the UK Government. THE ENFORCEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW IN UKRAINE | 1 Table of Contents Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................. 4 Executive Summary .................................................................................................................. 5 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 7 The Anti-Terrorist Operation (“ATO”) Zone ...................................................................................... 10 Reported Violations of IHL and other Serious Violations of International Law ............................... 10 Structure of the Report..................................................................................................................... 15 Ukraine’s Obligations to Prosecute Violations of IHL and other Serious Violations of International Law ..................................................................................................................... 17 The Applicability of IHL .................................................................................................................... 17 Other Serious Violations of International Law ................................................................................. 18 Normative Desirability to Prosecute International Crimes............................................................... 18 Charging Obligations Arising from ICC Jurisdiction ........................................................................ 21 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 21 Complementarity .......................................................................................................................... 23 Ukraine’s Domestic Prosecution of Conflict-Related Crimes................................................. 36 A pattern of not generally prosecuting IHL violations or other serious violations of international law as international crimes ..................................................................................................................... 40 A pattern of charging ‘separatists’ (or those suspected of assisting the military effort of the separatists in eastern Ukraine) with one or more domestic crimes under the Criminal Code of Ukraine ............................................................................................................................................. 45 A pattern of generally prosecuting or charging Ukrainian government and military officials (non- separatists) for a range of domestic crimes .................................................................................... 49 An occasional prosecution of conduct amounting to IHL violations and other serious violations of international law as domestic crimes ............................................................................................... 51 Conclusion: Failure to Provide Effective Penal Sanctions .............................................................. 55 Conclusion - Short Term Recommendations .......................................................................... 58 Follow international fair trial principles in charging international crimes ......................................... 58 Acknowledge the existence of an armed conflict ............................................................................ 62 Prosecute with reliance upon international crimes .......................................................................... 65 International Armed Conflict......................................................................................................... 74 Non-International Armed Conflict ................................................................................................. 80 Use domestic crimes when appropriate or when the relevant international crime is not available 86 Sample of Domestic Prosecutions .......................................................................................... 89 PART I: CASE LAW ON CRIMES COMMITTED IN DONBAS INVOLVING RUSSIAN SERVICEMEN, SEPARATISTS, CIVILIANS ............................................................................... 89 PART II: CASE LAW ON CRIMES COMMITTED IN DONBAS INVOLVING UKRAINIAN SERVICEMEN AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS ......................................................... 143 Elements of a Selection of Specific Crimes ......................................................................... 186 THE ENFORCEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW IN UKRAINE | 2 International Armed Conflict........................................................................................................... 186 Category 1 Crimes ......................................................................................................................... 186 Wilful killing ................................................................................................................................ 186 Torture ........................................................................................................................................ 188 Inhuman treatment ..................................................................................................................... 190 Causing great suffering .............................................................................................................. 191 Confinement ............................................................................................................................... 192 Category 2 Crimes ..................................................................................................................... 194 Outrages upon personal dignity ................................................................................................. 194 Intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population as such or against individual civilians not taking direct part in hostilities................................................................................. 196 Intentionally launching an attack in the knowledge that such attack will cause incidental loss of life or injury to civilians ............................................................................................................... 198 Category 3 Crimes ......................................................................................................................... 200 Rape ........................................................................................................................................... 200 Sexual Violence ......................................................................................................................... 202 Intentionally directing attacks against civilian objects, that is, objects which are not military objectives ................................................................................................................................... 203 Non-International Armed Conflict ................................................................................................... 204 Category 4 Crimes ......................................................................................................................... 204 Murder ........................................................................................................................................ 204 Torture ........................................................................................................................................ 204 Cruel treatment .......................................................................................................................... 205 Outrages upon personal dignity ................................................................................................. 206 Category 5 Crimes ......................................................................................................................... 206 Rape and Sexual Violence ........................................................................................................ 206 Intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population as such or against individual civilians not taking direct part in hostilities................................................................................. 206 Violations of Methods of Warfare Falling under Article 438 and their International Sources ..............................................................................................................................................
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