Russia is under investigation for possible war crimes against humanity in Ukraine
Thirty-eight countries are urging the ICC to investigate Russia’s war crimes, which have allegedly been occurring since Russia’s 2014 invasion of Crimea and eastern Ukraine.
International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor will now start an ‘active investigation’ into war crimes by Russia during its invasion of Ukraine.
According to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, this is “the largest ever referral to the International Criminal Court.”
“We are crystal clear that Putin cannot commit these horrific acts,”
he says.
Chief Prosecutor for the ICC, Karim A.A. Khan, says his office would go ahead with the investigation.
“There is a reasonable basis to believe that both alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Ukraine,”
he says.
The chief prosecutor of the court intends to seek authorisation from the court’s presidency to open the inquiry, but a referral by the UK and 38 other nations to the court meant he now intended to launch the investigation.
Savannah Pocock contributed to this report
