Ukraine: Framework for special tribunal to be finalized this year
Published: Friday, Feb 23rd 2024, 00:20
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Ukraine assumes that the framework for a special international tribunal before which Russia can be held accountable for the war of aggression against Ukraine can be finalized this year. "I hope that we will be able to agree on the structure and tasks of the tribunal this year," Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin told Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND/Friday). "Then it will be possible to concretize the preparatory work for court proceedings."
The International Criminal Court (ICC), based in The Hague, initiated investigations into war crimes shortly after the Russian invasion two years ago. However, Russia does not recognize the world criminal court. Ukraine wants the Russian leadership to be held accountable by a special tribunal. The proposal is also supported by the German government.
Kostin said that in a trial, Russian President Vladimir Putin must also be charged with the war of aggression. "It is important that Putin himself can be investigated. After all, aggression is a crime against peace for which the highest officials who initiated the aggression must be held accountable."
According to Kostin, more than 122,000 incidents have been recorded in Ukraine to date that are considered war crimes. "This is far from everything, because we have no access to the occupied territories," he said. "There is not a single war crime that the Russians have not committed in Ukraine: We are talking about murder of civilians, rape, torture, illegal detention, ill-treatment, looting, abduction of children, destruction of the environment."
Ukraine has been fending off a Russian invasion since February 24, 2022. International human rights organizations had accused Russia in particular of repeated violations of the Geneva Conventions on the treatment of prisoners of war and the protection of civilians.
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