Roberta METSOLA, EP President, visits Lviv in Ukraine and addresses the United for Justice Conference. Roberta Metsola pledged the European Parliament's commitment to ensure that justice is served and that all atrocities committed against Ukraine are investigated, through the development of a mechanism to create a special tribunal for the Russian crime of agression against Ukraine. Extracts.

Ukraine

EU - Ukraine (T)

Lviv

conference

statement

visit

troubles in Ukraine (T)

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

president's agenda

solidarity with Ukraine (T)

consequences of the war in Ukraine (T)

ZELENSKA, Olena (UA)

Visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President, in Ukraine - Statement at the United for Justice Conference

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, First thing I would say is that the European Parliament will not in any way remain complacent in the face of what we've just heard, but also what we've been documenting on the pain and suffering faced by Ukrainian victims. Andrea said she's a doctor, I'm a lawyer and I'm here not only as a president of the European Parliament, but here as a woman, a mother and a sister. And if we look at the legislative framework, it's very clear Geneva Convention says that women shall be especially protected against any attack, in particular against rape and forced prostitution or any form of indecent assault. The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court classifies rape and other forms of sexual violence as both as a crime of humanity, but also a war crime.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, But despite this crystal clear language in international law, sexual violence, as we've just seen with Ilias testimony in conflict, remains a vile reality. What have we done so far? When we talk about the fact that Ukrainian victims deserve justice and any impunity, it's a big word we've been using. Don't implement it enough. Any improvements? Impunity would mean that we would have done nothing to prevent the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war in the future. And here, let me applaud Ukraine for having ratified the Istanbul Convention. Not all member states of the European Union have done that. And our push for the European Parliament is to make sure that the European Union as an entity will follow suit soon. We talk about sexual violence, but that's not only against women and girls, as we've seen. It's also against boys. It's against members of sexual minorities.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, That is why this year, when we awarded the Sakharov Prize, which is the highest award of the European Parliament, we awarded it to Ukraine, represented by its President, but also by civil society and everybody working for the protection of everybody who was a victim of the Russian aggression that started on the 24th of February last year. Prosecutor General, we spoke this morning about the the cases that have been brought to you, but also cases that have been reported in on of Member States here. If this panel could serve and this convent conference could serve towards the setting up of a special tribunal in order to make sure that accountability is held, as Ilya said at the end, Ukraine is a shield for Europe. But we need to be the shield for Ukraine, because if Ukraine is not safe, we are not safe. And if we are not safe, then Ukraine is not safe.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, And if that is something that can determine beyond the legislative framework that I mentioned, the financial help that we have allocated from the European Union in support of victims of of sexual violence, the specialized investigators investigation teams led by the prosecutor general, but also the Independent International Commissions of Inquiry into the violations and abuses on the ground, both taking place here but also reported in other countries. I can commit on behalf of the European Parliament that we will continue to be supportive of all initiatives, both on the collection of evidence, on the investigation of the crimes, but also, most importantly, that the aggressors that have started a war on our continent will not go unpunished. I'm the mother of four sons. I would like to be able to tell them when Ukraine wins the war, that everybody will be held accountable for the crimes that they have committed and the atrocities that we have seen committed against the brave Ukrainians. Thank you.