Canada wants ICC investigation of Russia, says Foreign Minister Joly
CTV
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly says Canada wants the International Criminal Court to speed up its investigation into Russia for possible war crimes because of its invasion of Ukraine.
Joly announced Canada's intent in Geneva Tuesday after she and other Western officials walked out in the middle of the address by their Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, at the United Nations Human Rights Council.
On Monday, ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan issued a statement saying he had decided to open an investigation because he found there was a reasonable basis to believe war crimes and alleged crimes against humanity have been committed in Ukraine.
Joly's announcement could speed up the pace of an ICC investigation.
Khan said that because Ukraine is not a party to the Rome Statute that governs the court it "cannot itself refer the situation" to his office. He noted Ukraine has accepted the ICC's jurisdiction in the past "over alleged crimes under the Rome Statute occurring on its territory."
