International cooperation in criminal proceedings of torture in the conditions of full-scale war

The article is devoted to the study of legal, organizational and institutional aspects of international cooperation in criminal proceedings concerning crimes of torture committed in the context of martial law in Ukraine. The purpose of the article is to analyze modern forms of international cooperation in criminal proceedings related to torture, as well as to assess the effectiveness of these mechanisms in the context of martial law in Ukraine. The study applied a complex of general scientific and special legal methods, in particular dialectical, systemic-structural, comparative-legal and formal-legal, which provided a comprehensive analysis of international cooperation in criminal proceedings on torture. The use of these methods allowed to generalize the practice of international institutions. The essence of torture as a crime against humanity and a war crime is revealed, its international legal nature is determined on the basis of the provisions of the UN Convention against Torture and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The national legislation of Ukraine and its consistency with international standards are analyzed. The activities of key international institutions – the UN Committee against Torture, the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture, the International Criminal Court, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, and Eurojust – in documenting, monitoring, and prosecuting crimes of torture committed during the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine are highlighted. The Ukrainian practice of recording such crimes, creating joint investigation teams, exchanging evidence with international partners, and using the Istanbul Protocol to document facts of torture are considered. The main problems of implementing international cooperation are identified: the difficulties of proving, limited access to occupied territories, the need to protect witnesses and victims, and the unification of electronic databases of war crimes. Based on the analysis, directions for improving Ukraine’s interaction with international bodies are proposed: expanding technical assistance programs, improving the skills of investigators and prosecutors.