On Thursday, 19 June, the Saeima adopted in the final reading a law ratifying The Ljubljana–The Hague Convention on International Cooperation in the Investigation and Prosecution of Genocide, Crimes against Humanity, War Crimes and other International Crimes.

The Convention expands opportunities for cooperation with other countries in cases of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, which is particularly important at present when there are several significant armed conflicts around the world. As stated in the explanatory note to the draft law, the Convention was developed having regard to the fact that some countries had struggled to obtain evidence from other countries in cases involving these crimes. The provisions of the Convention are in line with Latvian legislation, so no amendments to the law are necessary.

The Convention was adopted on 26 May 2023 in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and opened for signature on 14 February 2024 in The Hague, the Netherlands. Currently, 40 countries, including Latvia, have signed the Convention.

According to the Convention, the international crimes to which it applies are among the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole. By acceding to the Convention, countries undertake to investigate these crimes more effectively and to ensure that they are prosecuted.

Saeima Press Service