Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) based in The Hague, rejected on Monday the European Commission's proposal to establish a special court that would investigate and prosecute people responsible for the war in Ukraine and the crimes committed during the war.
In his statement at the annual meeting of the organization's member states, the Attorney General said, "the investigation conducted by the ICC should not be doomed by the proposal to create a special court", since the court itself is capable of effectively dealing with war crimes committed in Ukraine. He also urged the international community to provide the ICC with adequate tools and funding to conduct the investigation.
According to Khan, "many promises have been made that the special tribunal investigating war crimes committed by Russia will not undermine the work of the ICC", but he emphasized that the organization is already struggling with budget problems.
"We should avoid fragmentation and focus on unity," Karim Khan pointed out.
Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, in her proposal presented last Wednesday, believed that the creation of a special court would allow criminal proceedings to be conducted against Russian leaders who would otherwise enjoy immunity, as Russia does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC.
According to the Attorney General, however, the fact that Russia does not recognize the ICC does not necessarily mean an obstacle, since the member states could find a way for the body to hold a third state accountable for the crime of aggression.
Ukraine and many Western countries supported the creation of the special court, and the Netherlands offered to host it. According to Moscow, the creation of such a court would be illegal.
Source: Magyar Hírlap
Image: Atlanticcouncil.org
