Statement of the MFA of Ukraine on opening a formal investigation into the Situation in Ukraine by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court

The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Mr Karim A.A. Khan QC, has decided to proceed with opening a formal investigation into the Situation in Ukraine. 

The events of recent days, in particular, the unprovoked escalation of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, give reason to believe that crimes within the jurisdiction of the ICC

continue to be committed on the territory of Ukraine. Along with the situation in the Crimea and the Donbas, recent events suggest that the aggressor's troops continue to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity. 

Despite the fact that Ukraine is not a Party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the state has accepted its jurisdiction on the basis of declarations lodged earlier. Yes, Ukraine has lodged two declarations with the International Criminal Court. The first declaration concerned the events that took place in Ukraine in the period from 21 November 2013 to 22 February 2014, and the second one concerned the continuation of crimes committed in the period from 20 February 2014 onwards. The analysis of these two declarations gave the Office of the Prosecutor every reason to assert that war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed. 

Russia's top military and political leadership is bound to appear before the International Criminal Court and be held accountable for every crime committed. This will be the Nuremberg trials of the 21st century.