The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, announced his decision to start investigating the violations committed by the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine as soon as possible.
This is stated in the statement of the Chief Prosecutor of the ICC dated February 28.
He said that last Friday he expressed his growing concern about the events taking place in Ukraine.
“Today I want to announce that I have decided to launch an investigation into the situation in Ukraine as soon as possible,” said Karim Khan.
He recalled that Ukraine is not a state party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, therefore, it cannot itself transfer the situation to my department.
“However, she twice used her prerogatives to legally accept the jurisdiction of the Court over alleged crimes under the Rome Statute committed in her territory, if the ICC decides to exercise it,” Prosecutor Khan said.
The Chief Prosecutor of the ICC stated that the first declaration filed by the government of Ukraine recognized the ICC's jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed on the territory of Ukraine from November 21, 2013 to February 22, 2014. The second statement extended this time period indefinitely to cover current alleged crimes committed throughout Ukraine, starting on February 20, 2014 .
— I have reviewed the Bureau's conclusions based on the results of the preliminary study of the situation in Ukraine and confirmed that there are reasonable grounds for launching an investigation . In particular, I am convinced that there are reasonable grounds to believe that both alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed in Ukraine in connection with events already assessed by the Bureau during the preliminary study, Karim Khan said.
He added that given the expansion of the conflict in recent days, the ICC intends to investigate any new alleged crimes that fall under the jurisdiction of the Office of the Chief Prosecutor of the ICC, which are committed by any party to the conflict in any part of the territory of Ukraine .
“I've already instructed my team to explore every avenue for preserving evidence. The next step is to begin the process of seeking and obtaining permission from the Court's Pre-Trial Chamber to open an investigation, the ICC Chief Prosecutor said.
The Chief Prosecutor of the ICC added that there is an alternative way, which is provided for by the Statute, which can further speed up the resolution of issues. This path is for the ICC State Party to refer the situation to the Office of the Chief Prosecutor of the Court, which will allow us to actively and immediately proceed with an independent and objective investigation by the Office.
“I will also ask for the support of all participating States and the international community as a whole as my Bureau conducts its investigations. I will call for additional budgetary support, voluntary contributions to support all of our situations, and staff donations. The importance and urgency of our mission is too serious to be held hostage by a lack of funds ,” said Karim Khan.
Read UN Secretary-General urges Russia to stop hostilities in Ukraine
He stated that he would continue to closely monitor developments on the ground in Ukraine and reiterated his call for restraint and strict adherence to applicable international humanitarian law.
Earlier, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that the Russian Federation's missile strikes on residential buildings and civilian facilities would definitely be considered at the International Tribunal.
Note that the International Criminal Court is not identical to the International Tribunal initiated by the UN Security Council.
Before that, the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the enemy is using methods of warfare that are prohibited by International Humanitarian Law.
See an interactive online map of the military operations of Russia, which were launched on the night of February 24 against Ukraine.
