Extrajudicial executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war by the Russian military are subject to the Rome Statute.
This was stated by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Karim Khan in The Hague, answering the question whether ICC can start an investigation into the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war by the Russians, the correspondent of Babel reports.
"Even war has rules. And it is not possible to execute civilians or prisoners of war who laid down their arms without trial and investigation. If people act with impunity, it falls under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court," he emphasized.
Khan added that the International Criminal Court has a methodology and strategy for investigating the situation in Ukraine and cooperates with the Office of the Prosecutor General, but is independent.
ICC examines many factors before choosing which investigation to undertake.
“We look at the seriousness of the allegation, the availability of evidence, the commitment to move at a speed that is relevant and where the evidence leads. And we will focus on that. I try to say less and show that there is a new approach, according to which the office tries to investigate cases not only in Ukraine, but also in many situations," explained Karim Khan.
- The Russian military executed at least 93 Ukrainian prisoners of war on the battlefield, and 80% of the executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war were recorded this year.
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