Since the first volume of the Baltic Yearbook of International Law published in 2001, many articles on the prohibition of use of force, grave violations of human rights and humanitarian law and the analysis of the aggression of the Soviet Union against the Baltic States and the consequences thereof have appeared in the Yearbook. War that the Russian Federation waged against the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine has notable parallels with the events in the Baltic States of 1939/1940.
With the purpose of the examination of these parallels, the Baltic Yearbook invites you to take part in the on-line seminar: “Russia's War in Ukraine and the Baltic States” on 19 September 2022 from 10:00–13:00. The participants of the seminar are asked to address, among others, the question whether and in what way international law in 2022 is more consolidated to face such a grave violation of international law as carried out by the Russian Federation.
Programme
10.00-10.15 Welcome to the participants and introduction of the aims of the seminar by Professor Ineta Ziemele
1st Panel. Qualification of the actions of the Russian Federation in Ukraine under international law.
Chair: Prof., Dr.iur. Dainius Žalimas, Vytautas Magnus University
10.20 – 10.35 “Armed attack and circumstances excluding international responsibility of States"
Prof., dr.iur. Vilenas Vadapalas, Attorney at law, EUROLEX law firm, Former Judge of the General Court of the European Union
10.35 – 10.50 "The Road to War: Russia's Legal Arguments to Justify Its War against Ukraine"
Dr.iur René Värk, Associate Professor, University of Tartu Law School
Concluding remarks on the 1st Panel by Prof. Dainius Žalimas
2nd Panel. Parallels drawn with the occupation of the Baltic States in 1940.
Chair: Prof., Dr.iur. Ineta Ziemele, Riga Graduate School of Law
11.00 – 11.15 “An old wine in the new bottle: the comparison of the occupation of the Baltic states in 1940 and annexation of Crimea in 2014”
Prof., Dr.iur. Jānis Grasis, Dean of the Faculty of Law, Rīgas Stradiņa University
11.15 – 11.30 "Responsibility for the Aggression against Ukraine: Why a Special Tribunal Is Important for the Baltic States?"
Prof., Dr.iur. Dainius Žalimas, Dean of the Law Faculty, Vytautas Magnus University (Kaunas)
11.30 – 11.45 "Protection of refugees under international law: approaches, challenges, solutions for Baltic refugees then and Ukrainians now"
Prof., Dr.iur. Lyra Jakulevičienė, Dean of the Law Faculty, Mykolas Romeris University (Vilnius)
11.45 – 12.15 Discussion
Conclusions and guidelines for the authors.
Please register for the event here:
RGSL Professor and Editor of the Yearbook Ineta Ziemele discusses the seminar in a Youtube video.