Ukraine v. Russian Federation- Ecocide and Environmental War Crimeson Trial
Date: 30 August 2024
Venue: Lichthof der Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Hamburg Carl von Ossietzky, Zutritt über Grindelallee/Ecke Edmund-Siemers-Allee
The Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant and the Kakhovka dam are known by the public since the beginning of the 2022 Russo-Ukrainian War. They are known since the war has affected the nuclear power plant and the dam specifically, either by total destruction and tremendous harm like in the case of the Kakhovka dam, or since there is ongoing fighting in the vicinity of the nuclear facilities, provoking a nuclear threat to Ukraine and beyond. Both scenarios also impact the environment and the health of the people.
In a fictional court proceeding, Ukraine takes Russia to court, using real scenarios and data from Ukraine. The court hearing will include the incidents at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant and the Kakhovka dam, and more generally questions on ecocide. As part of the hearing, real scientists evaluate satellite pictures and other data. Katrin Eigendorf, German television journalist and war correspondent, together with Prof. Dr. Sigrid Boysen, judge at Hamburgisches Verfassungsgericht, sit on the judges’ bench and guide through the fictional court hearing.
After the lunch break with light refreshments, all participants and experts are available for questions and the audience is invited to engage as part of “The GROMADA Project in conversation“.
During the lunch break between 12.30 and 13.30, there will also be an opportunity to visit the exhibition Der Russland-Ukraine-Konflikt – Eine völkerrechtliche Einordnung (in German) in the atrium gallery. The poster exhibition is based on 14 student papers addressing legal questions on the Russo-Ukrainian-Conflict, supervised by Dr. Anne Dienelt, with illustrations by the artist Marlin Beringer. The students’ work was inspired by tweets, headlines and other reports in the media, which are integrated into the exhibition. The students examine issues that are sometimes presented in the media in too abbreviated or even false a manner. In addition to “grain theft”, they also look at fake news and the question of when a state becomes a party to a war. The digital and multimedia exhibition can be visited in advance at ruk.uhh.de. The exhibition on 30 August in the Lichthof gallery will have a few surprises in store!
Programme
Friday, 30 August 2024
9.00-12.30 Ukraine v. Russian Federation – Ecocide and Environmental War Crimes on Trial (fictional court proceeding)
12.30 – 13.30 Light refreshments + Vernissage of the poster exhibition Der Russland-Ukraine-Konflikt – Eine völkerrechtliche Einordnung in the atrium gallery, 1st floor
13.30 – 15.30 The GROMADA Project in conversation
Please use this link to register for the events on August 30th by Thursday, August 22nd: https://www.jura.uni-hamburg.de/service/gromada-inszenierung.html
The GROMADA project is funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union. This GROMADA event is also financially supported by Deutsches Rotes Kreuz e.V. and Greenpeace e.V. It is organised in cooperation with the ELSA Hamburg e.V., the Friedrich Naumann Stiftung and the Heinrich Böll Stiftung Hamburg e.V. (funded by Landeszentrale für politische Bildung Hamburg) and Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Hamburg Carl von Ossietzky.