Acting Assistant Attorney General (A/AAG) Nicole M.
Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division journeyed to Berlin, Germany, to participate in and address the Bundesministerium der Justiz’s (BMJ) International Conference on International Criminal Law.
Her involvement aimed at discussing responses to crimes under international law, particularly holding war criminals accountable.
Additionally, she engaged in meetings with international law enforcement partners and U.
S.
law enforcement assigned to the U.
S.
Embassy Berlin, focusing on enhancing cooperation in complex transnational criminal and national security matters.
Participation in Conference and Meetings
A/AAG Argentieri was accompanied by U.
S.
Special Prosecutor for the Crime of Aggression Jessica Kim and War Crimes Accountability Team (WarCAT) Director Christian Levesque.
The trio participated in various conference panels, contributing to discussions on international criminal law.
The visit also involved meetings with key figures, such as U.
S.
Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission W.
Clark Price and prosecutors of the German Federal Ministry of Justice, including Dr.
Bernhard Böhm, who leads the International Criminal Law Division.
Expression of Gratitude and Collaboration
A/AAG Argentieri expressed gratitude for the U.
S.
Embassy's support and engaged in bilateral discussions, acknowledging the strong law enforcement relationship between the United States and Germany.
Discussions covered mutual legal assistance matters and shared challenges.
The visit included an evening reception at the Federal Ministry of Justice, attended by German Federal Minister of Justice Dr.
Marco Buschmann, fostering diplomatic ties.
Conference Highlights and Remarks
The BMJ organized an international conference emphasizing the need for continued cooperation at the international level, especially regarding conflict-related issues in support of Ukraine.
A/AAG Argentieri delivered remarks on the Justice Department's assistance to Ukraine and participated in panels discussing the support for Ukraine two years after the Russian attack.
The conference aimed to address conflict-related challenges collectively.
Meetings with International Partners
A/AAG Argentieri engaged in individual meetings to strengthen cooperation with Poland, meeting with Polish Minister of Justice Adam Bodnar.
The discussions focused on advancing accountability for Ukraine, including joint efforts in the Eurojust-based Joint Investigation Team (JIT) and the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (ICPA).
Meetings with President of Eurojust Ladislav Hamran and Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin aimed to reinforce collaboration.
Discussions on Russian War Crimes and Extremism
Separately, discussions with Germany’s Acting Federal Public Prosecutor General Dr.
Lars Otte addressed shared law enforcement priorities on Russian war crimes and other atrocities committed in Ukraine, as well as violent extremism impacting both countries.
A/AAG Argentieri emphasized the importance of close collaboration between the United States and the international community on bilateral justice matters.
Conclusion: Pursuing Accountability for War Crimes
A/AAG Argentieri affirmed the Justice Department's commitment to comprehensive accountability for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The efforts extend beyond war crimes accountability, targeting those responsible for supporting the Russian war machine.
The visit aimed to strengthen the collaboration between the United States and its European partners, contributing to justice and accountability on an international scale.
