ICC Prosecutor Says ‘Crimes Have Been Committed’ in Ukraine

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, said today that “there are reasonable grounds to believe that crimes have been committed” in Ukraine “which come under the jurisdiction of the court” based in The Hague.

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“The evidence will speak for itself. When we have looked at them, analyzed and verified, in the end independent judges will decide on the solidity of what we find, “said Khan in Ukraine at a joint press conference with the country’s attorney general, Iryna Venedíktova.

Khan is on his second visit to Ukraine since the ICC Prosecutor’s Office opened evidence-gathering activities for an investigation on March 2.

The chief prosecutor of the international court explained that “there are a variety of military actions” in the country and his office has to “separate those that are legal from those that might not be according to the Rome Statute,” he said in reference to the founding charter. of the court.

He added that “everyone with a weapon, with a rocket or with access to an aircraft or a missile has responsibilities to fulfill, such as not targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure.”

Khan explained that he plans to maintain contact with Ukrainian prosecutors and will continue “trying to contact the authorities of the Russian Federation” because he has “no other agenda beyond the law.”

Asked if his goal is to put high-ranking Russian military commanders in the dock, he replied that “no professional investigator can start with an objective, but with evidence,” and that “when you see that evidence, you will see where it leads.” ”.

As to whether it would not be more convenient to establish an “ad hoc” court to try war crimes committed in Ukraine, Khan replied that “many people have had good ideas” about it, but that the court based in The Hague “has jurisdiction ” and that “123 states are party” to the ICC.

On the other hand, Ukraine’s attorney general explained that before holding a hypothetical trial in The Hague “first we need to find concrete evidence”, because her country wants to “do everything under the rule of law”.

Source: Elcomercio

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