• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Ukraine: International Criminal Court To Investigate ‘Alleged War Crimes’ As Putin’s Invasion Continues

Home> News

Published 16:06 1 Mar 2022 GMT

Ukraine: International Criminal Court To Investigate ‘Alleged War Crimes’ As Putin’s Invasion Continues

The International Criminal Court will open an investigation into alleged war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine.

Hannah Smith

Hannah Smith

The International Criminal Court will open an investigation into alleged war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine, according to the court's chief prosecutor.

Karim Khan said that he had elected to open an investigation in possible war crimes and crimes against humanity that are alleged to have taken place since Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday, February 24.

'I have already tasked my team to explore all evidence preservation opportunities,' he said.

International Criminal Court at The Hague (Alamy)
International Criminal Court at The Hague (Alamy)

Advert

He noted that as Ukraine is not an ICC member state, an inquiry will either need approval from ICC judges or for Russia's actions in Ukraine to be referred to the court by a member state.

The latter option 'would allow us to actively and immediately proceed with the office’s independent and objective investigations', Khan said.

He added that Ukraine has given the ICC jurisdiction, and that there were grounds for an investigation based not only on current events in Ukraine, but also on a previous preliminary investigation opened into Russia's actions in the Donbass and Crimea, the results of which were published last year.

That report found that there was enough evidence of alleged war crimes being committed by Russia in eastern Ukraine and Crimea to launch an investigation, however ICC judges declined to give their approval for further steps to be taken.

Advert

Khan said that having reviewed the report, he was 'satisfied that there is a reasonable basis to believe that both alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Ukraine'.

His statement came shortly after the Prime Minister of Lithuania — which is an ICC member state — called for an investigation in an interview with the Washington Post, saying, 'What Putin is doing is just a murder and nothing else, and I hope he will be in The Hague.'

Damage caused by a missile strike in central Kharkiv (Alamy)
Damage caused by a missile strike in central Kharkiv (Alamy)

Ukraine has already filed legal action against Russia with the International Court of Justice, alleging that it launched an invasion of the country under false pretexts, namely by falsely claiming that the Ukrainian government was carrying out a genocide against Russian speakers.

Advert

The ICJ filing was described to The Guardian by one legal expert as a 'symbolic move by Ukraine', whereas an investigation by the ICC could potentially lead to charges being filed against Russian military members and leaders.

Ukraine and its allies have urged people to record and collate evidence of potential war crimes and crimes against humanity for potential future use in a Hague trial.

If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]

Featured Image Credit: Alamy

Topics: Russia, Ukraine, World News

Hannah Smith
Hannah Smith

Hannah is a London-based journalist covering news and features for UNILAD. She's especially interested in social and political activism and culture.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

2 hours ago
3 hours ago
4 hours ago
  • 2 hours ago

    Patient dies of plague in extremely rare case after health officials issued chilling warning

    The plague is likely to have come from rodents like prairie dogs, whose colonies are known to carry case after case of the disease

    News
  • 3 hours ago

    Conjoined twin Carmen Andrade announces marriage as sister Lupita explains why she ‘doesn’t want to get hitched’

    Carmen Andrade revealed she got married seven months ago in secret in a YouTube video

    News
  • 3 hours ago

    Psychotherapist reveals the one reason people cheat and explains why it happens

    A psychotherapist with 45 years working as a sex therapist has detailed why she believes people cheat, and explains how you can prevent it

    News
  • 4 hours ago

    Trump slammed for disturbing description of Texas floods that makes people ‘want to throw up’

    Trump seemed to really irk people by what he said

    News
  • International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for war crimes in Ukraine
  • North Korean soldiers 'hooked on porn' after being given internet access while fighting for Russia against Ukraine
  • US Finds Russian Troops Have Committed War Crimes In Ukraine
  • Ukraine: Footage Captures Huge Explosion As Russia Continue Invasion