Get 40% Off
🤯 This Tech Portfolio is up 29% YTD! Join Now to Get April’s Top PicksGet The Picks – Just 99 USD

London to host international meeting on alleged war crimes in Ukraine

Published 01/07/2023, 06:33 AM
Updated 01/07/2023, 06:35 AM
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: British Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary Dominic Raab walks outside Number 10 Downing Street, in London, Britain, November 22, 2022. REUTERS/Toby Melville

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: British Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary Dominic Raab walks outside Number 10 Downing Street, in London, Britain, November 22, 2022. REUTERS/Toby Melville

LONDON (Reuters) - Justice ministers from around the world will gather in London to scale up the support being offered to the International Criminal Court in its investigations of alleged war crimes in Ukraine, the British government said on Saturday.

The meeting in March, which will be hosted by UK Justice Secretary Dominic Raab and his Dutch counterpart Dilan Yesilgoz-Zegerius, will be attended by ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, according to a statement.

"Almost a year on from the illegal invasion, the international community must give its strongest backing to the ICC so war criminals can be held to account for the atrocities we're witnessing," said Raab, who is also Britain's deputy prime minister.

The meeting will seek to increase the global financial and practical support to the ICC and coordinate efforts to ensure it has all it needs to carry out investigations and prosecute those responsible, the statement said.

Russia, which calls its actions in Ukraine a "special military operation", has denied targeting civilians and other war crimes. Ukraine and the West say Moscow has no justification for what they say is an imperial-style war of occupation.

Britain has been steady in its backing for Ukraine, having provided 2.3 billion pounds ($2.78 billion) in military support to Kyiv.

Russian and Ukrainian forces exchanged artillery fire at the front line in Ukraine on Friday, even after Moscow said it had ordered its troops to stop shooting for a unilateral truce that was rejected by Kyiv.

The ICC's Khan last year opened an investigation into possible war crimes in Ukraine. Legal experts say the court's jurisdiction on aggression only extends to member states and countries that have agreed to its jurisdiction, such as Ukraine but not Russia. Moscow does not recognise the tribunal.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: British Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary Dominic Raab walks outside Number 10 Downing Street, in London, Britain, November 22, 2022. REUTERS/Toby Melville

"For us it is crystal clear: these crimes may not go unpunished," said Yesilgoz-Zegerius, describing the reports and images coming out of Ukraine as "horrific".

($1 = 0.8270 pounds)

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.