The European Parliament voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to create a special international court to investigate alleged war crimes in Russia’s war against Ukraine. The German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had previously proposed such a legal form – after all, Russia does not recognize the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Atrocities reported from Bucha, Irpin and other Ukrainian cities show the importance of coordinated international action, the European Parliament said on Thursday after MEPs voted overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution. The decision is not legally binding.
The Hague is already doing research
A special court would complement the investigative efforts of the International Criminal Court, where it is not currently allowed to act, it said. According to the will of the deputies, such a court should investigate not only Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s political and military leadership, but also the political and military leadership in Belarus.
Effective consequences difficult
The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague is already investigating the situation in Ukraine. But since Russia withdrew its support in court in 2016. So if there are convictions in The Hague, the judge has no power to force the state to carry out a sentence. It is therefore considered difficult to establish effective consequences.
Negotiating according to Ukrainian law?
In order to do justice to the local population, Baerbock proposed such a corresponding special court on Monday. According to them, Russian war crimes should be tried according to Ukrainian law. However, according to the international law graduate, it should be based abroad and reinforced with international elements in order to gain broad legitimacy.
Feared for countless war crimes
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the adoption of the resolution in the European Parliament. “I call on all our partners to support such a tribunal,” he wrote on Twitter. Russia must be held responsible for its war of aggression.
According to investigations by Ukrainian authorities so far, Russian armed forces have committed war crimes in several areas. For example, after the withdrawal of Russian units from the Kiev suburb of Bucha, the bodies of more than 400 people were discovered there. Most of them had died a violent death. The investigations are ongoing.
Source: Krone
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