International Office of Investigation on Russia's War in Ukraine Opens in The Hague
Today, in The Hague, the International Centre for Investigation into Russian war crimes regarding its invasion of Ukraine begins its operations. This marks the first step towards a future tribunal to hold Moscow accountable.
The International Centre for the Prosecution of Aggression (ICPA) includes prosecutors from Kyiv, the European Union, the United States, and the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Centre will conduct investigations and gather necessary evidence of Russia's armed aggression in Ukraine, serving as an intermediate step before the establishment of a special international tribunal to hold the Russian leadership responsible for initiating the war in Ukraine.
Eurojust reports that the organizers will hold a press conference at the ICPA headquarters in the EU's judicial hub, scheduled to start at 11:15 (09:15 GMT). The participants will include the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Andriy Kostin, the ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, the Assistant Attorney General of the United States, Kenneth Polite, and the European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders.
A live broadcast of the press conference will also be available on Eurojust's website.
The need for a special tribunal concerning Russia's actions in Ukraine has arisen due to the International Criminal Court (ICC), which deals with cases of war crimes, lacking the jurisdiction to investigate broader military aggression.
The International Criminal Court investigates specific military crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine, and in March, it issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in relation to the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
The group working on the establishment of a special tribunal for Russia's crimes in Ukraine includes 36 countries.
"The steering group for the establishment of the tribunal currently consists of 36 countries, and this number is growing daily. Representatives from not only the European and Euro-Atlantic space but also our traditional partners and friends who are assisting us," said Igor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.
According to Igor Zhovkva, Ukraine expects unity among all group members regarding the working format of such a tribunal.
Meanwhile, discussions are ongoing, and the consideration of a relevant resolution at the United Nations General Assembly is anticipated.