Feature Archives

Amid Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, the issue of restoring justice has gained particular importance. Since late 2022, when Ukraine liberated the territories of the Kharkiv and Kherson, the country has struggled to jumpstart transitional justice in these regions and those it hopes to reclaim from Russia. A new training program for civil servants seeks to accelerate the process of ensuring fair and equitable justice for all.

Increasing numbers of Ukrainians are learning demining techniques at a training school in Kosovo – hoping to make a difference back in their war-ravaged home country, which has been massively contaminated by explosive devices.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s adviser for sanctions told BIRN that the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina should do more to tackle Russian-linked schemes intended to dodge Western-imposed sanctions against Moscow.

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Ibro Zahirovic filmed life in the besieged enclave during the Bosnian war and captured the last moments before it fell in July 1995 – escaping with videos that were later used as evidence at the Hague Tribunal.

By testifying about beatings and sexual abuse suffered in Russian captivity, a woman from eastern Ukraine aims to inspire others to testify in order to document as many crimes as possible for ongoing and future trials. Comparing the experiences of suffering and trauma with those in Bosnia and Herzegovina, some Ukrainian activists fear that high-ranking Russian officials who gave orders will never be prosecuted.

Modelled on a similar project in Sarajevo, the War Childhood Museum in Kyiv documents Ukrainian children’s memories of their everyday life during the ongoing invasion.

The small town of Hostomel, close to Kyiv, took centre stage in early 2022 during the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Countless war crimes committed by the Russian army against the residents of Hostomel are currently under investigation and part of court proceedings. One such investigation was initiated by Lazer Taras, a local documentary filmmaker who told the Detektor team his story in the very street where Russian soldiers killed his neighbours.

Two years after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, people in Kyiv and the surrounding areas say they feel forgotten by the international public after the global focus shifted towards Gaza. But despite the persistent hardships, they insist they won’t succumb to conflict fatigue.

Nick Teunissen was so intrigued by a photograph of a young Bosnian who went missing during the Srebrenica genocide, he decided to write a book that would illuminate some of the real lives behind the headlines and casualty figures.

Sarajevo-born Dzemil Hodzic uses his personal experience of searching for photographs of his brother, who was killed in the Bosnian war, to help preserve the memories of people who have lost their lives in contemporary conflict zones.

Feature

Ukraine Fights Legal Nihilism with Transitional Justice Training

At Kosovo Demining School, Ukrainians Gain Vital Skills to Save Lives at Home

Bosnia Should Probe Russian Sanctions-Busting: Ukrainian Official

Filming Horror: How Videographer Captured Srebrenica’s Last Moments Before Genocide

Ukrainian Woman Testifies About Sexual Abuse to Help Document Russian Crimes

Testimonies and Teddies: Ukraine’s War Childhood Museum Follows Bosnia’s Example

The Hostomel Filmmaker: Hunt for war criminals with the help of surveillance cameras

After Two Years of War, Ukrainians Struggle to Defy Conflict Fatigue

Untold Stories: How a Photo from Srebrenica Inspired Dutch Author’s Book

Bosnian’s Wartime Photo Memory Project Focuses on Gaza and Ukraine

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