Recently, Global Rights Compliance’s (GRC) Mobile Justice Team (MJT) East visited Zaporizhzhia to support the Regional Prosecutor’s Office (RPO) in investigating and prosecuting war crimes committed in the context of the Russian full-scale invasion. During the field mission, GRC’s legal advisers met with prosecutors and discussed the current progress and challenges.
Among others, they worked on cases of appropriation of Ukrainian property in the occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia region. According to the data observed by GRC, following the full-scale invasion, a pattern of violation of property rights emerged in the occupied territories, including Zaporizhzhia, indicating a potentially larger strategy to strip the Ukrainian state, its nationals, and legal entities of property in the occupied territories. The occupying power systematically re-registers businesses in the region, appoints “temporary administration” for some properties, classifies other as “ownerless”, and “nationalises” other properties.
“Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, the occupation forces have illegally seized and used residential property, including houses, apartments and personal belongings. This has resulted in significant property damage and violates international humanitarian law.” – Lidiia Volkova, Deputy Team Lead of MJT East, stated.
In Zaporizhzhia, MJT experts have been working for a year to prioritise cases of war crimes committed by Russian forces since the beginning of the full-scale aggression. Legal advisers of GRC provide support through mapping, case reviewing, building cases, and consulting on effective prosecution of war crimes. A representative from the Zaporizhzhia Prosecutor’s Office added:
“The collaboration with the Mobile Justice Team is crucial in gathering evidence and ensuring accountability for property-related war crimes committed in occupied territories. The scale of such war crimes and other atrocities is huge, and investigating and prosecuting them is very complex. So professional support from GRC and other partners is important for accountability and justice” – Mykyta Kovalevskyi, head of Zaporizhzhia War Crimes Unit.
Under international law, looting and unlawful property seizures are explicitly prohibited:
Hague Convention (IV), Article 28 and Geneva Convention (IV), Article 33 prohibit pillaging.
Rome Statute, Article 8 defines looting as a war crime.