On 14 February, the Centre for International Humanitarian and Operational Law in collaboration with the Centre for European Legal Studies on Macro-Crimes of the University of Ferrara hosted a hybrid workshop on pursuing accountability for international crimes in Ukraine. The workshop was organised primarily for the Czech and Italian armed forces who represented the majority of attendees. The workshop took place simultaneously in Olomouc and Ferrara via videoconference.
The workshop focused on various aspects of international criminal justice, covered by Czech and Italian experts respectively. These aspects included State cooperation in the investigation of war crimes by the International Criminal Court, the establishment of a special tribunal for Ukraine, and the arrest warrant issued against Russian President Vladimir Putin. Speakers included Prof. Alessandra Annoni (University of Ferrara); Prof. Mirko Sossai (Roma Tre University); Prof. Ondřej Svaček (Palacký University); Dr Milan Lipovský (Charles University Prague); Prof. Emanuele Cimiotta (La Sapienza University) and Mgr. Petra Benešova (Ministry of the Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic).
The workshop forms part of ongoing outputs in relation to established cooperation between the Faculty of Law of the Palacký University and the University of Ferrara. Both institutions have a common focus on cooperation with their respective armed forces. The University of Ferrara has, for example, already for several years organised regular specialised legal courses for the Italian army.
In the spirit of multi-institutional cooperation, a second joint workshop is currently being planned which will focus on rules of warfare, with an emphasis on the classification of armed conflicts. Due to its focus and structure, the workshop will be prepared for members of the armed forces of both countries. Its content and scope however will also be of interest to academics and students alike, who are cordially invited to attend. The workshop will take place on the morning of 23 May 2024, both in-person in Olomouc and in Ferrara. Event details will be released later.