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Presentation of English version of book ‘The Tragedy of Southeastern Ukraine. The White Book of Crimes’

On February 10, 2016, a presentation of the English version of the book ‘The Tragedy of Southeastern Ukraine. The White Book of Crimes’, 2nd edition (edited by Alexander Bastrykin, Chairman of the RF Investigative Committee, Colonel General of Justice, Doctor of Laws, Professor) was delivered at the Academy of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. The book reproduces evidence of international and transnational crimes committed in the territory of Ukraine, gathered in the course of relevant investigations by the RF Investigative Committee, materials of international organizations, and opinions of publicists.

The presentation, aimed, inter alia, at sensitizing international and foreign communities to the problem of combating international crimes in Ukraine and held in English, was attended by representatives of competent authorities of 14 foreign countries accredited at their diplomatic missions in Moscow as well as the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Organization for Migration.

The event highlighted the results of the RF Investigative Committee’s efforts in investigating war and other crimes against the peace and security of mankind committed in Ukraine, including the attack on the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Kiev, bringing to justice those responsible for said crimes, ensuring unavoidability of punishment, the specificities of classification of the offences, sources and mechanisms of collecting evidence.

The participants discussed international law aspects of the criminal proceedings at issue: their conformity with universally recognized principles and norms of international law and international treaties to which the Russian Federation is a party; compliance with international standards of investigation of crimes; grounds for the Russian Federation asserting extraterritorial jurisdiction over the said acts; relevant officials’ customary international law immunity from foreign criminal jurisdiction; possibility of submitting evidence or their copies gathered by the RF Investigative Committee to the bodies of international justice, inter alia, to determine the Ukrainian government’s responsibility for internationally wrongful acts.

The Russian and English soft copies of the book are expected to be published shortly on the RF Investigative Committee’s official website, making them readily accessible to the general public.

Head of Media Relations                                                                                                                               V.I. Markin