Eurojust and Genocide Prosecution Network Mark 2026 EU Day Against Impunity
12 June 2026 // Preprint Issue 1/2026
 Cornelia Riehle LL.M. Cornelia Riehle LL.M.

On 23 May 2026, Eurojust marked the 11th EU Day Against Impunity for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes together with the Genocide Prosecution Network.

The commemoration took place against the backdrop of growing armed conflicts worldwide and increasing pressure on the international criminal justice system. Eurojust and its partners reiterated their shared commitment to ensuring accountability for the most serious international crimes and to supporting victims and survivors.

Since 2016, Eurojust and the Genocide Prosecution Network have jointly highlighted the EU Day Against Impunity to raise awareness of core international crimes and strengthen cooperation between national authorities.

In their 2026 statement, attention was drawn to the continued efforts of EU Member States in exercising extra-territorial and universal jurisdiction.

In 2025 alone, more than 30 new cases were opened across over 20 countries, reflecting sustained investigative and prosecutorial activity in relation to crimes committed in more than 30 states.

Recent judicial developments were also highlighted, including landmark convictions in Sweden for genocide through the transfer of children, the first convictions in the Netherlands and France for crimes committed against the Ezidi community, and ongoing proceedings in cases involving Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In Belgium, an indictment was filed in a case involving alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Liberia.

Progress in accountability for crimes committed in Ukraine was also underlined, including the work of the JIT on alleged core international crimes in Ukraine (➝eucrim 1/2025) and a landmark conviction in Finland, where a Russian national was found guilty on the basis of universal jurisdiction for war crimes committed in 2014.

Finally, Eurojust also highlighted increasing efforts in the area of corporate accountability (legal responsibility of companies for participation in criminal conduct), with ongoing investigations into alleged corporate involvement in core international crimes.

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Author

Riehle_Cornelia_Neu_SW.jpg
Cornelia Riehle LL.M.

Institution:
Academy of European Law (ERA)

Department:
Criminal Law

Position:
Deputy Head of Section