The ICC launched investigations into alleged Russian war crimes just days after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
International Criminal Court (ICC) prepares two war crimes cases over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, newspaper New York Times (you will switch to another service) tells. It bases its information on anonymous official sources.
If the newspaper’s information is correct, it would be the first international charges of war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine.
Another of the war crime charges being prepared would concern the abduction of children by Russia from its occupied territories in Ukraine. The Ukrainian government has estimated that there could be more than 16,000 kidnapped children.
International media have reported on the hijackings extensively. also reported a month ago how Russian soldiers kidnap children from orphanages and also directly from the hands of parents.
In the video, watch Ukrainian father Yevhen Mezhevoi’s story about what he learned about the fate of his children after his release from the prison camp.
Read the whole thing here: Photographic evidence shows how Russia steals Ukrainian children
The New York Times writes that the ICC’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan has hinted publicly about his intentions to accuse the Russian authorities of child abductions.
– Children cannot be treated as war booty, Khan said when he visited a Ukrainian orphanage earlier in March.
However, the ICC does not confirm the New York Times information. The Prosecutor’s Office of the Criminal Court is said only to not comment publicly on issues related to its ongoing investigations.
Long road to justice
According to the New York Times, the International Criminal Court plans to seek arrest warrants for several people, but it does not say who they are.
Chief Prosecutor Khan also cannot act completely independently in the case. The ICC panel of judges must first assess the grounds for arrest warrants.
The panel will decide whether they meet the legal criteria or whether investigators need to collect more evidence. The evaluation can take up to months.
Even if the panel is in favor of applying for arrest warrants, the chance of a trial happening is low, the New York Times says. The ICC cannot handle cases in the absence of the accused, and Russia is likely to refuse to hand over its officials to the court.
Russia presents child abductions as a humanitarian program and claims that it only wants to protect children who have been orphaned or abandoned by their parents. Abductions are carried out in practice by the Russian Children’s Ombudsman Marija Lvova-Belova.
Read the whole thing here: Abductions of Ukrainian children in Russia are led by an “ordinary” mother – this is what we know about Marija Lvova-Belova
Attacks on civilian targets are also on display
According to the New York Times, another case prepared by the International Criminal Court would concern Russia’s repeated attacks on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, such as electricity and water facilities.
Many of the destroyed facilities are located far from the front line and are not considered legitimate military targets.
The Hague-based International Criminal Court launched investigations into alleged Russian war crimes just days after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022.