International Criminal Court Opens Office in Ukraine

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has opened a field office in Kyiv on Thursday, September 14th. 

This was announced by ICC prosecutor Karim Khan and Ukraine's prosecutor general Andriy Kostin at a briefing in Kyiv, as reported by The Gaze.

According to Kostin, it is currently the largest ICC representation outside The Hague. Its work will enhance cooperation between Ukraine and the ICC and improve the efficiency of responding to crimes that Russia continues to commit against Ukraine and Ukrainians on a daily basis.

"Our cooperation with the ICC is unique because in most countries where war crimes have been committed, they were unable or unwilling to work with ICC investigators. In Ukraine's case, it is mutual cooperation," he said.

Brenda Hollis will oversee the ICC branch, according to Kostin.

In turn, Karim Khan emphasized that the office in Kyiv was not opened for "show," but because there is work that needs to be done. He stressed that this work is essential in the name of basic humanity. It is necessary to establish powerful precedents for those who still believe they can take something away or invade somewhere.

"Today, in 2023, as we search for life in other galaxies, travel into space, and work with genetics, such cruelty (Russian aggression) should disappear. It will not disappear in offices like this; it will disappear through united actions, through justice," he said.

It is worth noting that the work of the ICC branch will be focused on investigating war crimes and collecting evidence of them.

On March 17, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Russian dictator on charges of kidnapping Ukrainian children.

By the way, Putin's arrest warrant will be valid for the rest of his life.

In February 2023, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the opening of an ICC branch in Ukraine.

As The Gaze reported, in early July, The International Center for Prosecution of Aggression (ICPA) began operating in The Hague. It is the first step toward a future tribunal that will hold Moscow accountable for unleashing the war in Ukraine.

The International Center for Prosecution of Aggression (ICPA) includes prosecutors from Kyiv, the European Union, the United States, and the International Criminal Court (ICC). The center will conduct investigations and collect necessary evidence of Russia's armed aggression in Ukraine, which will serve as an intermediate step before the establishment of a special international tribunal to hold Russian leadership accountable for the war in Ukraine.