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European nations gathered Thursday in the Netherlands to coordinate ongoing efforts to punish Russian war crimes in Ukraine.
Several European countries have opened investigations into the ongoing Russian invasion, and Ukraine itself has opened more than 15,000 investigations into alleged war crimes.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has already opened an investigation into Russia and its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, is calling for a “global strategy” among nations seeking to hold Russia accountable.
“The simple truth is that, as we speak, children, women and men, young and old, are living in terror,” Khan said in a keynote address at the Ukraine Responsibility Conference in The Hague.
The bodies lie in a mass grave in Bucha on the outskirts of Kiev, Ukraine on Sunday, April 3, 2022. Ukrainian troops are finding brutalized bodies and widespread destruction on the outskirts of Kiev, sparking new demands for a war crimes investigation and sanctions against Russia.
(Photo AP / Rodrigo Abd)
Russian army sergeant Vadim Shishimarin, 21, is seen behind glass during a court hearing in Kiev, Ukraine on Friday, May 13, 2022. The trial of a Russian soldier accused of killing a Ukrainian civilian opened on Friday. , the first war crimes trial since its neighbor’s invasion of Moscow. (Photo AP / Efrem Lukatsky)
“They are suffering in Ukraine and in so many different parts of the world,” Khan said. “Grieve for what they lost yesterday, holding their breath for what they might lose today and what they can bring tomorrow. At a time like this, the law cannot be a bystander.”
The United States has condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin as a war criminal, accusing him of ordering the murder and torture of Uranian civilians.
UKRAINE WAR CRIME TRIALS: RUSSIAN SOLDIERS LEARN THEIR PUNISHMENTS
Although the United States is not directly involved in the war crimes investigations, it has gained support for ongoing investigations elsewhere. The ICC is working in a joint investigation team together with Ukrainian, Polish and Lithuanian prosecutors. The legal branch of the European Union, Eurojust, is also involved in the effort.
The US State Department sent human rights envoy Uzra Zeya as a representative at Thursday’s conference in The Hague.
“War crimes are increasing every day. Rape, torture, extrajudicial executions, disappearances, forced deportations. Attacks on schools, hospitals, playgrounds, apartment buildings, grain silos, water and gas plants,” said Zeya. “These are not acts of rogue unity: they fit a clear pattern in every part of Ukraine touched by Russian forces.”
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However, it is unclear what actions the ICC could take against Russia following the investigation. Russia is a sovereign nation and is not a member of the ICC. Any consequences for the regime can take the form of further economic sanctions.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
