Krakow became a platform for international discussion on the prosecution of war crimes

On 26 August 2025, a two-day international conference dedicated to Russian aggression against Ukraine and international criminal law began in Krakow. The event is taking place at the National School of Judiciary and Public Prosecution of Poland and brings together Ukrainian and Polish judges and prosecutors. The National School of Judges of Ukraine is represented at the conference by Vice-Rector Nataliia Shuklina and Acting Head of the International Cooperation Department Viktoriia Semenyuk. 

In her opening speech, Nataliia Shuklina thanked the Polish people for their comprehensive support of Ukraine and emphasised the importance of intergovernmental dialogue and professional exchange for strengthening justice in conditions of military conflict. Deputy Minister of Justice of Poland Dariusz Mazur stressed that the current conference will contribute to the formation of a unified international approach to the classification of war crimes and crimes of aggression.

Piotr Girdwin, Director of the National School of Judiciary and Public Prosecution of Poland, assured his support for further close international cooperation between the two judicial institutions in the field of justice. The conference is expected to become an important platform for the exchange of experience in investigating international crimes. Speakers will include leading national and international experts in international law (see the programme at the link).

Particular attention will be paid to the role of national judicial systems in documenting crimes of aggression, their classification and the prospects for bringing senior Russian military and political leaders to justice at the international level. 

During the discussions, participants will consider key aspects of accountability, including the admissibility of evidence in international courts and the use of digital data in investigations. Significant attention will also be paid to specific crimes, such as the deportation of Ukrainian children, as well as possible models for the creation of a Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression. 

It is expected that the results of the conference will contribute to strengthening international efforts to ensure the inevitability of punishment for war crimes.