On September 14, the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre (EHRAC) and ULAG held a joint workshop for lawyers working with adult survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV).
Kate Levine, Senior Legal Advisor, and Nataliia Stepanenko, Legal Advisor, from EHRAC, together with ULAG team members — Alina Pavliuk, Legal Coordinator and Analyst, Ievgeniia Kapalkina and Iryna Kapalkina, Lawyers and Victims’ Representatives — exchanged practical experience, as well as discussed key challenges and effective practices in providing legal assistance together with 20 lawyers participating in the workshop. The discussion brought together lawyers with experience in working with survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) and related crimes, as well as international law specialists.
The workshop covered the application of a trauma-informed legal practice when supporting clients in domestic and international jurisdictions.
Attention was paid to the specific challenges of handling CRSV violations committed in detention facilities, and in the context of occupation. In particular, participants discussed the risk of survivors being prosecuted for crimes against the foundations of national security of Ukraine, including collaborationism.
The workshop also addressed informed consent, managing survivors’ expectations, maintaining confidentiality, and mitigating the risks of disclosing sensitive information.
“The workshop provided a space for an open professional discussion on how to make legal assistance to CRSV survivors not only effective from the perspective of criminal proceedings, but also sensitive to their experiences and their real long-term needs,” said Ievgeniia Kapalkina.
During the workshop, Kate Levine presented a practical resource on working with adult survivors of human rights violations — an Annex to the Trauma-Informed Legal Practice Guide for lawyers working with adult survivors of human rights violations.
We thank EHRAC for the partnership and all participants for the productive discussion and valuable exchange of practical experience.
Read next
Articles
The voices of Ukrainians must be heard
The letter was published in May 2026 on the website of our long-time partner ECCHR, in the Living Open Archive section. It is a collection of personal impressions and stories from ECCHR staff and partners about the projects they work on, the injustices and contexts they experience, and the world they envision. They share intimate reflections in letters to their colleagues, allies, and the world.
Articles
Prisoners of War Tried as Terrorists: What Is Happening to Ukrainian Soldiers Captured in Russia’s Kursk Region
The number of Ukrainians captured by Russian forces in the Kursk region remains hidden by the fog of war and defenders may be considered missing in action for months before suddenly appearing in photographs posted on Telegram channels alongside other prisoners of war. Or, conversely, families may search those same channels every day for any trace of their loved one, only to one day receive the devastating news of their death.
Articles
ECtHR Case Law on the Consequences of the Armed Conflict in Ukraine: The Detention of Ukrainian Troops at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant
At the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, one of the primary objectives of the Russian armed forces was to seize control of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP). In February 2022, Russian troops occupied the facility and detained everyone there, including both civilian personnel responsible for maintaining the operation of the plant and members of the National Guard of Ukraine (NGU), who were responsible for the facility’s security.
