From 3 to 6 March 2025, the Nuremberg Academy hosted a group of 20 Ukrainian judges and prosecutors for a study visit on evidentiary standards in prosecuting and adjudicating international crimes. The study visit was organised in collaboration with the National School of Judges of Ukraine (NSJ) and the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine (OPG).
During the welcome remarks, Senior Officer for Training and Capacity Strengthening at the Nuremberg Academy, Darleen Seda, reiterated the necessity to strengthen Ukrainian legal professionals’ practical skills and expertise in prosecuting international crimes, especially as systemic impunity continues to hinder accountability efforts. The program covered both international and domestic evidentiary standards, examining topics such as the admissibility, gathering and preservation of evidence, and cooperation between Ukraine and the International Criminal Court (ICC). The sessions also included exchanges of good practices and practical case studies discussions. The participants benefited from invaluable contributions from Philip Trewhitt (Executive Director, Institute for International Crimes Investigations), Zera Kozlyieva (Legal Director, Truth Hounds), a trial lawyer of the ICC Office of the Prosecutor, Klaus Hoffman (Senior Public Prosecutor in Germany), Dr Ines Peterson (Prosecutor, German Federal Public Prosecutor General) and Stanislav Petrenko (Directorate for Counteracting the Crimes Committed in the Context of the Armed Conflict, Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine).
The study visit included a guided tour of the Memorium Nuremberg Trials, as well as a visit to the Higher Regional Court of Munich and the Bavarian Ministry of Justice, where participants exchanged views with German judges on their experiences, including challenges they continue to face on prosecuting and adjudicating international crimes. Discussions covered trial in absentia in Ukraine, prosecuting international crimes under universal jurisdiction, international cooperation and the challenges of use of open-source intelligence (OSINT).
More information on previous study visits can be found here. (pm/ds)
