On October 30, 2025, a training was held in Kyiv for prosecutors, investigators, lawyers, and human rights defenders on advancing victim-centered justice approaches and building cases on crimes committed against the LGBTQI+ community. This was the fourth training in a series conducted by the NGO “PROJECTOR” within the framework of a grant provided by the EU Project “Pravo-Justice”.
The training topic was determined by real challenges faced by LGBTQI+ community representatives in Ukraine: discrimination cases remain widespread, creating additional barriers to effective investigation of crimes committed against members of this community. These difficulties are particularly acute when it comes to crimes committed in temporarily occupied territories, where access to justice is limited and victims often fear seeking help.
Vitalii Matveiev, Chairman of the Board of the NGO “PROJECTOR”, lawyer and authorized representative at the International Criminal Court on gender-based crimes, addressed those present: “Ukraine is confidently moving along the path of European integration, and this means not only reforms on paper, but also real changes in the justice system. Everyone who has suffered from a crime must feel that the state hears and protects them. We continue to work to ensure that access to justice becomes a reality for all victims, without exception.”
Anna Stakhanova, Chief Expert of the EU Project “Pravo-Justice” on accountability for international crimes, emphasized the importance of documenting international crimes: “Documenting crimes committed against LGBTQI+ community representatives requires a deep understanding of context and special sensitivity in interaction with victims. Evidence collected from temporarily occupied territories may indicate possible signs of international crimes. Our task is to create effective tools that will ensure justice and real accountability for such crimes.”
During the training, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and civil society representatives worked on the topic of building cases on war and other international crimes committed against the LGBTQI+ community. They were assisted by highly qualified trainers: Tymur Korotkyi, member of the International Expert Council on Crimes Committed in Armed Conflict at the Office of the Prosecutor General, Candidate of Legal Sciences; Karolina Palaichuk, lawyer, human rights defender, board member of the NGO “PROJECTOR”; Mykola Pashkovskyi, senior researcher at the V.V. Stashys Scientific Research Institute for the Study of Crime Problems of the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine, Candidate of Legal Sciences; and Vitalii Matveiev, lawyer and Chairman of the Board of the NGO “PROJECTOR”.
Training participants deepened their knowledge about SOGI, learned how the LGBT abbreviation emerged, why gender does not always equal a person’s biological sex, what gender-based violence is, what specific features exist in documenting crimes against LGBTQI+ community representatives for international judicial bodies, and much more. Special attention was paid to the possibilities of using open source information (OSINT) to increase the effectiveness of investigative actions.
The NGO “PROJECTOR”, with support from the EU Project “Pravo-Justice”, will continue to conduct similar trainings. Trainings have already been held in Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, and Kyiv. They are also planned in other cities of Ukraine. Follow announcements on the organization’s website and social media.
This publication was prepared by the NGO “PROJECTOR” within the framework of a grant provided by the EU Project “Pravo-Justice”, implemented by Expertise France. Its content is the sole responsibility of the NGO “PROJECTOR” and does not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union.