AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – An International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor announced on Wednesday that he would now open an investigation into possible war crimes committed in Ukraine, a decision that follows requests to do so. by 39 member states of the court based in The Hague, the Netherlands.
“An investigation has been formally opened in Ukraine after receiving requests from 39 member states,” Karim Khan wrote on Twitter.
These requests filed by member states allow the prosecutor to move the investigation forward more quickly, since he does not have to seek ICC approval, a process that could take months.
The prosecutor’s office could start gathering evidence regarding “any past and present charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide committed in any part of Ukrainian territory by anyone”, Karim Khan said in a statement. .
In December 2020, the prosecutor’s office announced that it had reason to believe that war crimes and other crimes had been committed during the 2014 conflict in eastern Ukraine, but a request for full investigation has not been filed.
Russia is not a member of the ICC and rejects its jurisdiction.
The ICC can investigate allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on Ukrainian territory, regardless of the nationality of the alleged perpetrators.
(Report Bart Meijer, Stephanie van den Berg and Toby Sterling; French version Camille Raynaud)
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