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On the first day of the XII St. Petersburg International Legal Forum, Deputy Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Alexander Vyacheslavovich Fedorov, gave a speech at the department's discussion session "Legal Protection of the National Interests of the Russian Federation in the Context of the Transformation of the World Order."

The session was moderated by the Dean of the Faculty of Law and Head of the Department of Constitutional Law at St. Petersburg State University, Sergey Alexandrovich Belov. The speakers included Andrey Alexandrovich Klishas, Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation; Konstantin Anatolyevich Chuychenko, Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation; Alexander Nikolaevich Savenkov, Director of the Institute of State and Law of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Sergey Vadimovich Stepashin, Chairman of the Association of Lawyers of Russia; and Irina Anatolyevna Yarovaya, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. The participants of the discussion noted that in the process of forming a new model of a multipolar world, Russia consistently defends its sovereignty, spiritual and moral values, the justice of the new world order, and the basic principles of international law, calling for dialogue among representatives of different cultures and traditions.

Deputy Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia, A.V. Fedorov, drew the attention of the participants to the aspects of reorganizing the entire system of international relations that emerged after World War II. He noted that Russia, as it has often been already the case in history, finds itself at the center of events determining the future direction of world development. "It seemed that after the terrible catastrophe of World War II, after the Nuremberg, Tokyo, and Khabarovsk trials that condemned Nazi criminals and Japanese militarists, the world community would forever rid itself of misanthropic ideas and the desire to subjugate some nations and countries to the will of others. Unfortunately, this is not the case," he noted. A.V. Fedorov spoke about the role of the Investigative Committee in protecting Russia's national interests, emphasizing the enormous responsibility the investigators have on their shoulders. "The fate of people, the well-being of society, its social and economic development, the preservation of sovereignty, and the security of our Motherland depend on the professional approach to solving tasks related to the legal protection of national interests," he added.

In his address, A.V. Fedorov presented the Collection of Speeches and Articles by A.I. Bastrykin titled "Legal Protection of the National Interests of the Russian Federation in the Context of the Transformation of the World Order," which had been prepared in advance of the legal forum and dedicated to the current issues of the department's activities, and could be of interest to a wide range of readers. The deputy head of the department highlighted one of the key areas of activity of the Investigative Committee of Russia in the context of the transformation of the world order, specifically the work on investigating the crimes of the Kyiv regime against peace and humanity, as well as against civilians. He noted that this activity has been ongoing since 2014, with nearly five thousand criminal cases launched against over one thousand individuals, including representatives of Ukraine's military and political leadership, its security authorities, members of nationalist groups, and mercenaries. The facts of the recruitment and participation of over three thousand mercenaries – adherents of the Nazi regime from more than 70 countries – in military actions have been established.

Investigators of the Investigative Committee of Russia have already sent 296 criminal cases against 458 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and mercenaries to the court. Based on the results of court trials, 250 sentences have been passed, with 32 defendants receiving life sentences. To assess the damage caused by the crimes of the Kyiv regime in 2022 and 2023, the Investigative Committee of Russia conducted nearly 7,500 comprehensive evaluative construction and technical examinations of destroyed objects located in the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, as well as in the Belgorod, Bryansk, and Rostov regions. More than 70,000 houses and infrastructure objects have been examined, with damages exceeding 734 billion rubles.

The Deputy Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia also voiced the position about certain gaps in the Russian criminal and criminal-procedural legislation, based on the analysis of the practice of countering criminal manifestations that threaten national security. Among such gaps, he mentioned the impossibility of recognizing individuals who committed the most serious crimes against the national security of the Russian Federation as criminals in cases where such individuals are no longer alive. "A paradoxical situation arises when there is evidence of a crime committed by a specific person, but not only have they not been punished, they have not even been recognized as a criminal," noted A.V. Fedorov. He added that the actions of such individuals do not receive proper legal assessment in court.

The deputy head of the department gave an example of the legislative mechanism of the Republic of Belarus, which allows for the investigation and trial of a criminal case for crimes with no statute of limitations in relation to a deceased person, thereby ensuring the principle of inevitability of punishment and contributing to the restoration of historical justice.

In the final part of his speech, A.V. Fedorov emphasized the particular relevance of the issue of amending Russian legislation aimed at holding individuals truly accountable for committing crimes against peace and humanity. "This is an important component of ensuring national security, preserving historical truth, and combating the glorification of Nazism," he added. The session continued with an open discussion among participants, who expressed their positions on current aspects of the legal protection of national interests.

At the end of the event, agreements on cooperation between the educational institutions of the Investigative Committee of Russia and leading specialized educational institutions of the country have been signed. They will establish the framework for implementing joint projects in the field of education and science. Thus, agreements were signed between the Moscow Academy of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation named after A. Ya. Sukharev and the Ural State Law University named after V.F. Yakovlev, as well as the St. Petersburg Order of Zhukov’s Military Institute of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation.

In addition, a Cooperation agreement was signed by the rectors of the Luhansk Academy of the Investigative Committee of Russia and the Donbas State University of Justice.

Another event at the XII St. Petersburg International Legal Forum was the presentation of the biographical reference book of the Moscow Academy of the Investigative Committee of Russia "Sukharev Alexander Yakovlevich: 60 Years on the Scientific Front," published under the general editorship of the Chairman of the Investigative Committee, A.I. Bastrykin. The book highlights the main milestones in the life and professional career of the outstanding representative of Soviet and Russian jurisprudence, A. Ya. Sukharev, whose name the Moscow Academy of the department proudly bears today. The reference book is intended for lawyers, teachers, scientists, law enforcement officers, and a wide range of readers.

Additionally, a solemn ceremony was held during which Deputy Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia, A.V. Fedorov, presented the membership certificate of the International Union of Criminologists to the distinguished Russian lawyer, state and political figure of Russia, and employee of the Institute of State and Law of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Alexei Ivanovich Alexandrov. The work of the International Union of Criminologists, created on the initiative of the Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia, aims to preserve the best achievements and traditions of Soviet and Russian criminology, to integrate global criminology developments into practical use, and to join forces in solving tasks related to investigating crimes.

Furthermore, Deputy Chairman of the Investigative Committee, A.V. Fedorov, gave a speech during the session "Criminal Law: Crime and Punishment" as part of participating in the XII St. Petersburg International Legal Forum, where he outlined aspects of criminal liability of legal entities.