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The Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation gives a speech at the International Youth Legal Forum in St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg hosted the International Youth Legal Forum. The plenary session was attended by Mr. A.I. Bastrykin - the Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, Mr. K.A. Chuychenko - the Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation, Ms. O.I. Aleksandrova - the Rector of the All-Russian State University of Justice, Mr. N.M. Kropachev - the Rector of St. Petersburg State University and Mr. V.V. Arkhipov - the Head of the Department of Theory and History of State and Law, Faculty of Law, St. Petersburg State University, the moderator of the forum was Mr. S.A. Belov – the Dean of the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg State University.

The forum has discussed the problems, trends and prospects for the modern education development in Russia and the training of specialists in the sphere of jurisprudence. A report on this subject was made by Ms. O.I. Aleksandrova - the Rector of the All-Russian State University of Justice. Continuing the mentioned above issue, the Chairman of the Russian Investigative Committee proposed to revive the Soviet system of education, so not being equal to the Western one. “I believe that we need to return to the origins of Russian education and its traditions,” he said, explaining that the Russian universities have always been strong in their universality, so that science and education were characterized by the fundamentality. The Head of the Committee has added that the Soviet education used to provide all latest achievements in all branches of science and technology.

The Chairman of the IC of Russia stated that the program of the youth legal forum is always well-saturated and reflects the essential issues facing the legal community. Nowadays, the most discussed subject in the society is the special military operation in Ukraine carried out by the Russian Federation Military Forces due to protect the population of Donbas. The young generation must understand the ongoing processes and the causes of it, including the reasons that led to the genocide of the civilian population by the Kiev regime and the returning back to a misanthropic ideology, so such cases are to be prevented from happening in the future.

Mr. A.I. Bastrykin recalled that since 2014, the Investigative Committee of Russia has been documenting the crimes of the Ukrainian security forces. Hundreds of criminal cases have been launched so far.  During the investigation, the Body is guided by the provisions stipulated in the Russian legislation and the international law, which allow the criminal foreign citizens being prosecuted. Since February 17, 2022 when the escalation of the conflict in Donbas created by the Ukrainian side took place, the following causalities have been documented: more than 900 civilians were killed, including over 30 juveniles; more than 2 thousand people were injured.

The Head of the Committee noted that a specialized unit of the Main Directorate is operating due to investigate the circumstances of the crimes, committed by the Ukrainian Security Forces. A large group of investigators, forensic investigators and experts of the Investigative Committee are involved in the direct work in Donbas, the total number of which is about 300 Officers. The investigation of a number of criminal cases has already been finalized related to the Ukrainian servicemen crimes accusation against the peace and security of mankind. “There are specific arguments and evidence for each of them. We work professionally and deeply,” said A.I. Bastrykin. The Head of the Committee added that the investigation is taking the measures related to documenting the damage caused to Mariupol. The Forensic Experts of the Investigative Committee have already examined more than 70 destroyed houses, and the Experts will have to assess the damage caused.

The Сhairman also noted that the cruelty and atrocities of the Ukrainian security forces are incomprehensible, and could only be compared with the crimes of the Nazi invaders during the Great Patriotic War. And this is despite the fact that Russians and Ukrainians are Slavs, in fact, one nation. At the same time, the Ukrainian military does not take care of its fellow citizens, using the civilian population as a human shield. Mr. AI Bastrykin emphasized that the Investigative Committee of Russia considers as its duty both: to investigate crimes, and to provide assistance to the wounded and relatives of the dead. And on the territory of Russia, the Officers of the Committee work with refugees and do everything possible to help them.

At the end of his speech, Mr. A.I. Bastrykin expressed his pure conviction that the forum participants would not only open up the extra opportunities for productive scientific, legislative and law enforcement work, but also help to shape the constructive and timely solutions to the important targets, which our country outstands currently. The Chairman of the Russian Investigative Committee also spoke with the students from Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities, discussing with them the development of student public movements, including the volunteer assistance items outcoming from the students towards people who has been hurt by the Ukrainian security forces actions in Donbas.