Waging Justice
Ukraine
Our foundation is committed to bringing to justice the perpetrators of atrocities in Ukraine. Ukrainians demand and have every right to expect their day in court – and to have access to funds to rebuild their lives.
Amal and George Clooney
Since February 24, 2022, when Russia launched an invasion against Ukraine, The Clooney Foundation for Justice has been investigating and carrying out legal work to advance accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression committed in Ukraine, and pursue justice for victims through national and international courts.
The Docket, CFJ’s initiative focused on war crimes investigations and helping victims get justice, has sent multiple teams to Ukraine to investigate potential international crimes and gather evidence to share with prosecutors in Ukraine and around the world. Our expert investigators are also carrying out extensive open-source analysis, which includes identifying alleged perpetrators. The Docket also supports the Legal Task Force on Accountability for Crimes Committed in Ukraine. The Task Force, led by CFJ’s Co-Founder Amal Clooney, was set up to assist the Ukrainian government in bringing perpetrators to justice.
TrialWatch, which monitors trials around the world for rights violations, will focus on Russia’s crackdown on the growing number of Russians criticizing the invasion at home, in particular the cases of anti-war protesters arrested for taking part in demonstrations. Additionally, TrialWatch has been monitoring the trials of Crimean Tatar activists who have been suffering repression and discrimination since Russia’s occupation of the peninsula.
Waging Justice for Women, our newest initiative, will work with partners to ensure that allegations of conflict-related sexual violence are promptly investigated so that perpetrators can be held to account.
CFJ is waging justice to ensure those responsible for the crimes we are seeing every day will be brought to trial – in Ukraine, The Hague or elsewhere – and we will continue to provide assistance to Ukrainian survivors until that happens.
Addressing the UN
Clooney Foundation for Justice Co-Founder Amal Clooney addressed the United Nations at a meeting designed to ensure accountability for the atrocities being committed in Ukraine.
In her speech, however, CFJ’s co-founder warned that these actions needed to be the starting point, not the highlight, of fighting for justice for the victims of atrocities in the country. She spoke of the parallels she saw between Ukraine and Syria, and the lessons learned from previous cases she had worked including the ISIS genocide of the Yazidi.
Ms. Clooney, who is part of a legal Task Force on Accountability for Crimes Committed in Ukraine and was asked by Ukraine’s government to provide advice on accountability, also called for governments to take “concrete steps towards justice” for Ukraine, showing clear and unequivocal support for the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction and “making your country a hostile environment for war criminals” and welcoming to refugees.
