Global Rights Compliance’s Universal Jurisdiction map provides an overview of legal proceedings regarding the conflict in Ukraine brought before national authorities on the basis of ‘Universal Jurisdiction’. Universal Jurisdiction is a specific form of extra-territorial Jurisdiction which entitles a State to prosecute and punish the perpetrators of international crimes which are “so serious” that they affect the international community as a whole (i.e. genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, known collectively as “core international crimes”), regardless of where these crimes may have been committed or of the nationality of the perpetrators and the victims.

The map aims to serve as a tool for practitioners from across the spectrum – including civil society and the justice sector – in tracking legal complaints and cases concerning facts and perpetrators connected to events in Ukraine following the occupation of Crimea and Donbas in 2014 and the full-scale invasion in 2022. The information included in the map relates to the following types of international crimes – war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, torture, and aggression.

How to Use the Map:

• The countries and territories marked in colour indicate the presence of relevant proceedings (such as, the filing of a complaint before prosecutorial authorities, an ongoing investigation or an active trial). Clicking on them will provide further information on the nature and facts of the proceedings.
• The various national proceedings can be filtered through multiple factors namely, the Jurisdictional Basis; Structural Investigations; Alleged Crimes; Perpetrator; and Stage of Proceedings, Simply click the relevant tab.

Data Source and Updates: The data contained in the map has been derived from open-source information (and therefore, may not reflect the full scope of Universal Jurisdiction proceedings as some might not be publicly disclosed) and research done for GRC’s ‘Practitioners’ Handbook on Extraterritorial or Universal Jurisdiction to Pursue Accountability for International Crimes Committed in Ukraine’ [add cross-link if the Handbook is made publicly available and uploaded to GRC’s website]. The map has been designed to complement the Handbook and is available in both Ukrainian and English. The map will be updated periodically by GRC, and the date of the latest update noted here.