By Brian Glaser
law briefs
A war crimes research team of 11 Suffolk Law students helped build a template for the indictment of Russian leaders for atrocities in Ukraine, and diligently continues to make updates.
Their work product—created on behalf of clients including the United Nations and the U.S. Department of State—lays out dozens of charges, including the killing, rape, and torture of civilians throughout Ukraine, and the bombing of civilian hospitals.
Suffolk Law is the official host of the Ukraine Accountability Project (UAP), an offshoot of the larger Global Accountability Network, whose international prosecutors lead projects documenting atrocities in Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen.
This summer, the students released the third edition of the UAP’s detailed white paper on Russian atrocities. When a war crimes case is filed at the International Criminal Court, the students’ careful descriptions speed up the prosecutorial effort of various parties, potentially including international lawyers and members of the Ukrainian Bar Association.
The paper, written under the guidance of Suffolk Law Professor Sara Dillon, includes a “Most Egregious Crimes Index,” analyzing war-related incidents with more than 50 civilian deaths. One example was the massacre in Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv where hundreds of civilians were targeted and killed, and 25 girls and women, aged 14 to 24, were kept in the basement of a Russian command post and repeatedly raped, the paper says.
“It’s hard not to get stuck in a dark mindset,” said Suffolk 3L Alexandra Lane, the UAP’s executive director, of the team’s efforts. “You need to take a break occasionally and take care of your mental health. You come back with a clearer head and with the ability to continue the work.”
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Photograph by Getty Images
winter 2024
