The Diplomat
The first members of the Police Support Teams (EPA) that will investigate alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine, made up of members of the National Police and Civil Guard, are already in Kiev.
As reported yesterday by the Ministry of Interior, this Spanish advance party, formed by the head and coordinators of the mission (a commander and a lieutenant of the Civil Guard and two chief inspectors of the National Police), has already held a preparatory meeting in Kiev with representatives of the Ukrainian Prosecutor’s Office to set the terms of collaboration and specify the areas of deployment of the two Spanish teams.
These teams are made up of between six and seven specialists each from the National Police and the Civil Guard. Both teams will work alongside Ukrainian investigators and prosecutors in the collection of evidence that can be incorporated into the judicial proceedings opened in Ukraine, and that will serve to identify the victims of possible actions contrary to international law.
These EPAs include forensic experts who will conduct examinations of dead bodies and are trained to create full 3-D models of bombed facilities. They will also investigate in the field the type of equipment, weapons and explosive ordnance used, the techniques employed and, where appropriate, gather information on the individuals or groups responsible for the serious crimes under investigation.
The EPAs respond to the request for support from the International Criminal Court and their creation is based on an instruction signed by the Secretary of State for Security, Rafael Pérez, which establishes the availability, operability and support and reaction capabilities of this police team whose objective is the investigation of serious crimes within the framework of international law.
