This week, Global Rights Compliance (GRC) held a two-day case-building training for Ukrainian prosecutors focused on the appropriation of property and natural resources. The event brought together representatives from Regional Prosecution Offices (RPOs) as well as the Specialised Environmental Prosecution Offices (SEPOs).
During the training, prosecutors and GRC experts exchanged knowledge and expertise on prosecuting the appropriation of property and natural resources, introduced case-building concepts, and discussed the importance of and how to build investigation plans. Participants explored both the theoretical and practical aspects of prosecuting appropriation-related crimes. Prosecutors worked on practical exercises, applying the knowledge gained during the sessions to real-world scenarios.
By bringing together GRC specialists and prosecutors, the training created an opportunity for sharing expertise, building capacity, and enhancing Ukraine’s ability to investigate and prosecute complex cases of appropriation of natural resources.
Appropriation of property is one of the priority workstreams in the cooperation between GRC and the RPOs in the occupied territories. Because appropriation-related crimes are committed against private property as well as Ukrainian-owned natural resources, “this training provided an opportunity to bring prosecutors from SEPO and the regional war crime units together to learn from each other’s experiences and create further opportunities for collaboration,” said Donna Cline, Lead for the Environment Mobile Justice Team.
GRC legal advisors provide ongoing support to the RPOs by mapping cases related to appropriation of property, offering recommendations on which incidents should be prioritised for opening criminal proceedings, and advising on the next investigative steps necessary for building strong cases.
“In the investigation of large-scale violations like we can see in Ukraine in relation to property crimes, planning is the backbone of effective accountability. A well-structured investigation planning ensures that scarce resources are directed toward the most critical leads and that every step contributes directly to proving the core elements of the crimes.
This case-building training was also a valuable opportunity for Ukrainian prosecutors dealing with similar violations to work together, share their successes, and discuss the challenges they face,” said Emmanuelle Marchand, Lead for the Eastern Region Mobile Justice Team.
GRC’s Mobile Justice Teams are part of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group (ACA). The ACA is a multilateral initiative established by the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom to support and assist Ukrainian law enforcement and prosecutors in investigating and prosecuting international crimes committed during a full-scale war.