A destroyed bridge over the Seversky-Donets River in the recently retrieved village of Bogorodichne, Ukraine. , Photo Credit: AP
The UK will host a meeting of justice ministers in March to discuss ways to support the investigation into alleged allegations by the International Criminal Court war crimes in ukrainethe government said on Saturday.
The Hague-based ICC is currently investigating war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.
London said ICC prosecutor Karim Khan was ready to take part in a meeting in March with ministers from around the world.
Mr Khan in December urged the international community to step back and fund the ICC inquiry, saying: “We need the tools to do the job. We don’t have those tools.
The UK government said the purpose of the meeting was to “increase the global financial and practical support being given to the ICC and to coordinate efforts to ensure that it is needed to investigate and prosecute those responsible”.
Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, who will co-host the meeting, said participants will discuss how to help gather information and share evidence of atrocities as well as support victims.
“Russian forces must know they cannot act with impunity and we will support Ukraine until justice is served,” Mr Raab said.
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He stressed “the international community must give its strongest support to the ICC to hold the war criminals accountable for the atrocities we are witnessing”.
The meeting’s co-host, Dutch Justice Minister Dilan Yesilgöz-Zegerius, said that the participants of the meeting would “coordinate with our partners to ensure they offer support to the ICC and the Ukrainian authorities”.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in December that the ICC could not prosecute Russia, a non-member state, for a “led” crime of aggression without a UN Security Council resolution, which Moscow would quickly veto. .
Instead it proposed a UN-backed special court to try the Russian leadership for the “crime of aggression”. invasion of ukraine,
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said last month that Russia’s massive missile attack on Ukraine targeting civilian infrastructure “constitutes a war crime and is barbaric. All those responsible will be held accountable.” ”