CEPOL delivers training on war crime investigations to Ukrainian and Moldovan officials

In response to the atrocities occurring in Ukraine, and engaging within the scope of its mandate, the EU Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL) delivered this month a training course in Chișinău to Ukrainian and Moldovan officials on war crime investigations. Law enforcement officials involved in the investigation and prosecution of such crimes require specialised training and knowledge.

Enhancing the capability of investigators in this field has become a priority under CEPOL’s TOPCOP project, an initiative that aims to strengthen the strategic and operational cooperation in the Eastern Partnership countries to fight against organised crime.

This training course was organised in cooperation with the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC OTP). Trainers shared with participants their expertise in the area of international law, investigations and analysis. The course featured practical exercises based on examples of prosecution of war crimes throughout the world from the past two decades.

In addition, participants had the opportunity to get familiar with the best practices from the Central Office for Combating Core International Crimes and Hate Crimes of the French National Gendarmerie. They also learnt about techniques to gather credible and reliable evidence that could help bring the perpetrators of alleged core international crimes to justice. Furthermore, Major Pierre-Adrien Pelegrin, from the Forensic Sciences Institute of the French Gendarmerie, showcased concrete tools for the investigation of explosion scenes.

This training activity served as a networking forum for Ukrainian and Moldovan officials to discuss common challenges and find solutions together. Cascading the new skills is now key to enhance the activity’s impact beyond the event, as course participant Polina Antoniuk, professor at the National Academy of Internal Affairs of Ukraine highlighted:

About TOPCOP

TOPCOP is a project funded by the European Union that aims at improving operational effectiveness and fostering cooperation between the law enforcement authorities of the EU Member States and the Eastern Partnership Countries. Read more on the dedicated project page.