Search for the missing: training seminar for Ukrainian NGOs held in The Hague

On April 1-10, the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) held a training seminar for representatives of NGOs from Ukraine in The Hague. ZMINA journalist Elina Sulima who deals with the topic of enforced disappearances of Ukrainians at the hands of Russians also took part in the event. 

The main goal of the event was to acquaint representatives of Ukrainian NGOs with ICMP’s experience in searching for missing persons. In addition, the seminar organizers told its participants about their initiative to provide assistance in identifying the bodies of those killed during the Russian-Ukrainian war. Those present at the seminar had the opportunity to talk with representatives of the International Criminal Court and the International Commission on Missing Persons. 

During the seminar, Elina Sulima spoke about the specifics of ZMINA’s activity: “We carefully document Russian crimes: abductions, tortures, rapes, murders, deportations, etc. For this purpose, we created our own database which is constantly updated and supplemented. We add information from both open sources and field research and in-depth interviews to it. So far, we have managed to collect 503 cases.” 

She added that the organization’s team regularly goes on field missions and collects testimonies of people who suffered from the actions of Russian criminals: “We record these crimes in photo and audio. Talking about the photos, these are marks on the body from torture, places where people were unlawfully detained and tortured, instruments of torture, etc. Audio recording allows us to reproduce the course of events through the eyes of direct participants. Thanks to such a combination, we get as complete a picture as possible in one or another area.” 

Since ICMP deals only with missing persons, the organization has its own DNA laboratory, where bodies found in mass or single graves are identified using DNA samples. Archaeologists, anthropologists, and pathologists are also involved in this research. They conduct excavations and do a preliminary analysis of bones taken from burial sites. The same experts determine the age, sex and possible causes of death of the found remains. During the seminar, the representatives of the organization spoke in detail about the functioning of their DNA laboratory and also conducted an inspection tour of its rooms. Currently, the laboratory stores 130,000 bio samples, including from Ukraine. 

ICMP’s DNA laboratory

ICMP suggests creating in Ukraine a bank of DNA samples for relatives of missing persons. For this, it is planned to take several samples of biomaterials from different members of the same family (for example, mother, father and sister / brother). In the future, this will help identify the bodies of the murdered and tortured more quickly. 

“It is very important to properly excavate and exhume the bodies found at the crime scene. It is also necessary to conduct a professional medical examination and carefully document everything in order to gather a convincing evidence base for consideration in international courts. All data collected can be linked to the crime scene and crimes committed. We can do more if we work together. All this will allow us to speed up and make more efficient the process of identification of bodies, which is already used in Ukraine,” the ICMP noted. 

The organization’s mandate allows for effective cooperation between government agencies and NGOs in the search for missing persons. The ICMP was engaged once in collecting data on war crimes committed in the Balkans, Africa, Latin America, and Syria. In the former Yugoslavia, thanks to ICMP’s efforts, it was possible to identify 75% of persons who were previously considered missing. Based on the evidence received, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia was able to conduct an effective investigation and prosecute those involved in the commission of these crimes. The ICMP was also involved in the investigation into the downing of Flight MH17 by the Russian military. 

“100,000 people were killed in the former Yugoslavia. After the war, people began to return home, which allowed us to collect high-quality DNA samples and create a database,” the ICMP said. 

The organization representatives also noted that they had created an international database of missing persons and nonprofit organization “Family Institute” in the Balkans. They hope that a unified register of missing persons will also be created in Ukraine to facilitate their identification. 

The organizers noted that it is necessary to collect data and conduct investigations now, while the war is still going on. This will allow Ukraine to quickly find missing persons and more effectively identify the bodies of dead persons. In this way, Ukraine will be able to promptly collect the evidence base of war crimes committed by the Russians in its territory and immediately submit cases to international courts. The sooner these cases are considered, the sooner it will be possible to punish all those guilty of crimes. To speed up this process, the ICMP and the Government of Ukraine should sign a cooperation agreement. 

“Ukraine is the first country where the documentation of crimes began during the war. And the problem of missing persons is only a part of all war crimes that occur during armed conflicts. But we want to work with you precisely on the subject of missing persons, and we hope that you will join us in such cooperation. Of course, we have to finalize our agreement with the Government of Ukraine so that we can work legally in this area. We need to understand that the simpler the algorithm for searching for missing persons, the more families of missing persons will be involved in this process,” says Kathryne Bomberger, Director-General of ICMP. 

Currently, ICMP conducts information events in several Ukrainian cities, in particular in Dnipro and Lviv. In May, a strategic planning training is planned to be held in Kyiv, during which the main tasks of the organization will be determined, a plan for further actions will be developed, and a list of participants will be formed for the event which will be held in June in The Hague.