Agreement to extend the joint investigation team into alleged core international crimes in Ukraine for two years
The seven national authorities participating in the joint investigation team (JIT) on alleged core international crimes committed in Ukraine have agreed to prolong the JIT for two years. The Prosecutors General of the countries involved agreed to the extension in a coordination meeting that took place today in Kyiv, Ukraine. The meeting coincided with the United for Justice Conference, which also took place in Kyiv today.
Just three weeks after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Eurojust supported the establishment of a JIT set up on 25 March 2022 by Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine. On 30 May 2022, Estonia, Latvia and Slovakia became members, followed by Romania on 13 October 2022. On 3 March 2023, the JIT’s seven national authorities signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United States Department of Justice.
The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and Europol have been participants in the JIT since April 2022 and October 2023, respectively.
A joint investigation team is one of the most advanced tools used in international cooperation in criminal matters, comprising a legal agreement between competent authorities of two or more States for the purpose of carrying out criminal investigations. The aim of the JIT on alleged core international crimes committed in Ukraine is to facilitate investigations and prosecutions in the States concerned, as well as those that may be taken forward to the ICC.
During the coordination meeting, participants discussed the outcomes of the JIT work so far and the priorities for the next two years.
Eurojust provides legal, analytical, logistical and financial support to the JIT. Since March 2022, the Agency has hosted 22 coordination meetings involving JIT members and other national authorities that are investigating alleged core international crimes committed in Ukraine.
The JIT is also supported by the Core International Crimes Evidence Database (CICED), and the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (ICPA), hosted by Eurojust. For more information on the various actions taken by Eurojust since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, please consult our dedicated webpage, which includes a Q&A with answers to the most common questions and recordings of press conferences and other related events.
United for Justice conference
The United for Justice Conference, which took place on 29 February in Kyiv, brought together a large number of stakeholders involved in the efforts to ensure accountability for core international crimes allegedly committed in Ukraine. Organised by the Ukrainian authorities, the event focused on cultural heritage.
Ukraine’s Prosecutor General, Andriy Kostin, opened the event with a keynote address. Speakers included the Minister of Justice of Poland, the Prosecutors General of Lithuania and Romania, and Eurojust President, Mr Ladislav Hamran.
