The anti-terrorist prosecutor’s office has announced that it is investigating acts committed between March 26 and April 7 against a Frenchman, near kyiv.
A fifth investigation was opened for “war crimesfor acts committed between March 26 and April 7 against a Frenchman in Borodianka and Velykyi Lis, near kyiv, the anti-terrorist prosecution (Pnat) said on Tuesday May 3, requested by AFP.
The war crimes referred to correspond in particular to “intentional attacks on life, intentional attacks on the physical or psychological integrity of the person» and «theft or extortion“committed”against a person protected by the international law of armed conflict under the laws and customs of war and international humanitarian law“, specified the Pnat.
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The victim has French nationality and was injured. Borodianka, where UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres visited at the end of April, was, according to the Ukrainian authorities, the scene of “massacres of civiliansduring the month of March, when Russian forces occupied the city. In total, the Pnat opened five investigations for “war crimescommitted to the detriment of French nationals since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.
A first investigation was opened after the death of Pierre Zakrzewski, a Franco-Irish journalist, on March 14 in Horenka, near the Ukrainian capital. Then three others were opened for acts committed in Mariupol (southern Ukraine) between February 25 and March 16, in Gostomel (kyiv region) between March 1 and 12 and Cherniguiv (north) since March 24 February, the date on which Russian troops invaded Ukraine, had detailed the Pnat, competent for this type of offense.
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These three surveys concern French people returning from Ukraine who “declared themselves as victims of war crimes“, then told AFP General Jean-Philippe Reiland, head of the Central Office for the fight against crimes against humanity, genocides and war crimes (OCLCH), in charge of the five investigations. French justice can only open investigations for acts committed outside French territory if a victim is French, if the author of the alleged war crime is French or if the author of the offense has his habitual residence on the French soil.
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