Source: United States Department of Justice News
On April 13 and 14, Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division traveled to Vilnius, Lithuania, to meet with the Ukraine Joint Investigation Team (JIT), which is investigating core international crimes committed in Ukraine.
Representatives of the JIT in attendance were from the countries of Lithuania, Ukraine, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia, and Romania, as well as Eurojust and the International Criminal Court.
“We had productive conversations on ongoing investigations, and I pledged the U.S. Department of Justice’s increased support,” said Assistant Attorney General Polite. “Just one month ago, on March 3, in Lviv, Ukraine, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with all seven JIT national members, becoming the first country to do so. On Thursday, in an effort to further strengthen this partnership, the U.S. Department of Justice pledged to second an experienced prosecutor to the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine (ICPA) that will be based at Eurojust in The Hague. We look forward to providing additional resources to assist our colleagues from Ukraine and other JIT member partners, including by sharing our expertise to enhance investigations into atrocities committed by Russian perpetrators. Our mission is clear, our resolve will not weaken, and our determination to seek justice will not waiver. The U.S. Department of Justice is committed to holding Russian perpetrators accountable for their brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.”
One of the main agenda points of the JIT coordination meeting was the implementation of the ICPA implementation and future work. The ICPA will be part of the existing support structure for the JIT at Eurojust at The Hague, with a specific focus on supporting and enhancing investigations into the crime of aggression against Ukraine. AAG Polite concluded April 13 by attending a reception organized by the Lithuanian Prosecutor General’s Office.
On April 14, AAG Polite attended separate meetings with Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin and Prosecutor General of the Republic of Lithuania Nida Grunskienė. They discussed the U.S. contribution to the ICPA and the development of Eurojust’s Core International Crimes Evidence Database. The three leaders and Eurojust Vice-President and National Member for Lithuania, Ms. Margarita Šniutytė-Daugėlienė, delivered remarks at a press conference with Lithuanian press.
AAG Polite also had a courtesy call with U.S. Ambassador Robert Gilchrist and Deputy Chief of Mission Tamir Waser to convey the Department’s gratitude for the Embassy’s support for the Justice Department’s personnel and programs.
The AAG’s trip concluded with a visit to Lithuania’s Old Town city.
Partners agreed to cooperate extensively and to their shared commitment and dedication to ensuring that Russian war crimes in Ukraine are prosecuted to the fullest extent.