International Criminal Court begins probe into Russia's ‘war crimes’ in Ukraine
Zee News
The ICC prosecutor`s office said it would start collecting evidence for "any past and present allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide committed on any part of the territory of Ukraine by any person".
The Hague: The International Criminal Court (ICC) has begun an investigation into the Russian activities in Ukraine, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan said. "I have notified the ICC Presidency a few moments ago of my decision to immediately proceed with active investigations in the Situation. Our work in the collection of evidence has now commenced," Khan said in a statement.
He added that the ICC would focus on the organization`s key objective: ensuring accountability for crimes under the court`s jurisdiction.
Last week, Russia launched a special operation after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk requested assistance to defend themselves from ongoing attacks by the Ukrainian troops.
The Western countries have strongly condemned the Russian military operation and boosted the sanctions pressure on Moscow.
Russia`s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 has yet to overthrow the government in Kyiv but thousands of people are believed to have been killed or injured, according to officials in both countries and the United Nations.