Council of Europe, in cooperation with the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, organised a strategic session for prosecutors “Prevention of ill-treatment and effective investigation of such cases: European and national dimensions”. The event took place in Lviv, Ukraine, on 2-3 July 2026.
The event brought together prosecutors and heads of prosecution offices responsible for procedural guidance in criminal proceedings initiated following judgments of the European Court of Human Rights finding violations of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as in newly initiated proceedings concerning similar allegations.
The strategic session provided a platform to discuss the current state of investigations into such cases, the implementation of ECtHR judgments, and the latest decisions of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on the supervision of their execution, including the closure of supervision in a number of cases. Participants also examined the remaining challenges and explored ways to strengthen the effectiveness of investigations in line with Council of Europe standards.
The second day focused on strengthening prosecutors’ leadership skills, enhancing teamwork, exchanging good practices for maintaining professional resilience, and developing approaches to working effectively under conditions of prolonged workload.
Deputy Prosecutor General Andrii Leshchenko participated in the event and stressed the importance of safeguarding human rights throughout criminal proceedings, ensuring compliance with high standards of effective investigation, and restoring the rights of victims.
Council of Europe national consultants Nataliia Rymar and Serghiy Zayets contributed to the event as experts.
The strategic session was organised by the Council of Europe within the framework of the project “Fostering Human Rights in the Criminal Justice System in Ukraine – Phase II”, implemented in cooperation with the Office of the Prosecutor General. The project is part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” 2023-2026.
