The UCC graduate helping Ukraine to investigate war crimes

Since graduating from University College Cork, Aonghus Kelly has worked around the world in the field of human rights and war crimes

Aonghus Kelly: "No country in the world could deal with the level of crimes that have happened." Photo: Hannah McCarthy

The pavements in Kyiv’s Podil district are icy, and the power is gone in the cafe where human rights lawyer Aonghus Kelly has agreed to speak with the Irish Examiner.

Nearby are the offices of the EU Advisory Mission to Ukraine, known as EUAM, where Kelly (42) has been working since September. The mission’s premises in central Kyiv were damaged in a missile attack two months ago, prompting all staff to relocate to the EUAM offices in Podil.