International

International Criminal Court to open an office in Ukraine

The International Criminal Court will open an office in Ukraine to investigate war crimes committed by Russian soldiers since the beginning of the invasion, the ICC announced Thursday. An agreement to this effect was signed with Ukraine today, Digi24 reports.

"It is only a beginning, a good beginning. I am convinced that we will not stop until all perpetrators of international crimes committed in Ukraine are brought to justice," Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin said of the agreement he signed on behalf of Ukraine at the ICC's headquarters in The Hague.

Kostin announced in early March that his country was preparing to open an ICC office. On Wednesday, the court's legislative body denounced "threats" from Russia against members of the court after the issuance of arrest warrants targeting the Russian president and his children's rights commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova.

Last week, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia announced on Monday it was launching a criminal investigation against the prosecutor and three ICC judges. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, currently number two in Russia's Security Council and a regular for bombastic statements, the same day, according to Dutch media on Telegram, advised ICC judges to "watch the sky carefully", a reference to Russian strike capabilities.

The ICC was set up in 2002 to try the world's worst crimes. It now has offices in several countries.

Viorica Rusica

Viorica Rusica

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