On July 24, 2025, a training session was held in Odesa for prosecutors, investigators, lawyers, and human rights defenders on advancing victim-centered approaches to justice and constructing cases involving crimes committed against the LGBTQI+ community.
LGBTQI+ community representatives often face discrimination, which further complicates the investigation of crimes committed against them, especially when such crimes occur in occupied territories.
The session was opened by Vitalii Matvieiev, Chairman of the Board of the NGO “PROJECTOR.”
Vitalii Matvieiev, a lawyer and gender crimes approved by the International Criminal Court, addressed the attendees:
“We are fully aware that Ukraine is moving toward European integration and must fulfill a number of obligations to the European Union. One of them is ensuring access to justice. This must happen so that every victim feels protected and supported. We remain committed to advancing access to justice for all victims.”
Anna Stakhanova, the Lead Expert on Accountability for International Crimes at the EU Project “Pravo-Justice,” also addressed the training participants.
She emphasized the importance of documenting international crimes:
“International crimes against LGBTQI+ people and the sensitivity required when engaging with community representatives in this area demand particular attention. The widespread persecution occurring in temporarily occupied territories can be classified as crimes against humanity. We must develop methodologies for effective work with victims and responding to their reports in order to ensure justice and accountability for these crimes.”
During the training session, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and civil society representatives had the opportunity to work through issues related to the documentation and qualification of international crimes against the LGBTQI+ community.
They were assisted by highly qualified trainers, including: Timur Korotkyi, PhD in Law, Member of the International Expert Council on Conflict-Related Crimes under the Office of the Prosecutor General, Vadym Barskyi, PhD in Law, Associate Professor of the Department of Civil Law Disciplines at I.I. Mechnikov Odesa National University, Mykola Pashkovskyi, PhD in Law, Senior Research Fellow at the V.V. Stashis Scientific Research Institute for the Study of Crime Problems of the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine, Karolina Palaichuk, lawyer, human rights defender, and board member of the NGO “PROJECTOR”, Vitalii Matvieiev, lawyer and Chairman of the Board of the NGO “PROJECTOR”.
Participants became familiar with concepts such as SOGI (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity), learned the origins of the LGBT abbreviation, explored the distinction between gender and biological sex, the nature of gender-based violence, the specificities of documenting war crimes against LGBTQI+ individuals for international courts, and much more. Special attention was given to the use of open-source intelligence (OSINT) to enhance the effectiveness of investigative actions.
The NGO “PROJECTOR,” with the support of the EU Project “Pravo-Justice,” will continue conducting similar training sessions. Training sessions are also planned in other cities across Ukraine. Stay tuned for announcements on the NGO’s website and social media pages.
This publication was prepared by NGO “PROJECTOR” within the framework of a grant provided by the EU Project “Pravo-Justice,” implemented by Expertise France. The content is the sole responsibility of NGO “PROJECTOR” and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.