kyiv: Putin should appear in world court for starting a war

Ukraine: Ukrainian officials are drawing up plans to ensure that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his top military commanders try to start a war six months after the Russian invasion.

Andrey Smirnov, deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential administration, is leading the initiative to create a special international tribunal to investigate alleged “crimes of aggression” committed by Russia.

The 2010 Rome Statute adopted the definition of a crime of aggression, and the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials after World War II introduced the concept of “crimes against peace”.

War crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Ukraine are currently being investigated by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is trying the worst crimes for 20 years.

However, he is unable to investigate allegations of aggression because neither Russia nor Ukraine have ratified the Rome Statute.

According to Smirnov, this court is “the only way to ensure that the criminals who started the war in Ukraine are quickly held accountable”.
“The memory of the world is limited. That’s why I want this court gone next year.

Although the court “will endeavor to ensure that these people are qualified as criminals and that they cannot travel to the civilized world”, he said, Ukraine knows that the defendants will not be present.

Ukrainian prosecutors have so far named nearly 600 suspects involved in the attack, including senior military officials, politicians and commentators.

Governments can sign a draft international treaty establishing courts.

Any convicted criminal may be detained there because the court decisions will then be recognized on the soil of the signatory countries.

According to Smirnov, several countries are expected to ratify the agreement before the end of the year, and talks are underway with “a number of European partners [who are] ready to welcome the court”.
He stressed that he “fully understands” the need for strong legitimacy for the tribunal, adding that “we want the decisions of this tribunal to be recognised.”

Despite numerous reforms, Ukrainian courts have always been criticized for their lack of independence and their corruption.

The proposals received strong support from Ukraine’s closest allies, Poland and the Baltic states, but Germany and France reacted with more restraint.

Political factors may be the cause.
According to Smirnov, while acknowledging aggression against Ukraine, some nations are trying to maintain a slim window of opportunity for talks with Vladimir Putin.
But the idea is slowly gaining popularity in Western Europe as well.

On May 19, the European Parliament called for the creation of a special international tribunal for the crimes of aggression.
Moreover, the idea of ​​a special tribunal was seen as a “very valid point” by Dutch Foreign Minister Vopke Hoekstra last month at an international conference in The Hague on war crimes in Ukraine.

Arrest of a Russian opponent

According to reports, prominent Russian opposition politician and former Yekaterinburg mayor Yevgeny Roizman was arrested on Wednesday.

According to news site e1.ru, which released a video of Roizman discussing his arrest, he is accused of spreading false information about the Russian military following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. .

He will initially be held for 48 hours, after which a city court will decide how to proceed. Roizman, one of the last avowed opponents of the Kremlin still engaged in public discourse, faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

In Yekaterinburg, the 59-year-old owns a museum and a charitable foundation. The director of the foundation claimed that heavily armed and disguised security agents entered the charity establishment without presenting a search warrant. Additionally, Roizman’s offices were searched.

Documents, computers and other gadgets were seized, according to the Russian news agency TASS.

In a quiet show of support, dozens of people took to the streets of the city early in the morning. Former mayor Roizmann continues to enjoy a large following in the metropolis east of the Ural Mountains. According to reports, many people have been arrested.

Kira Yermish, spokesman for detained opposition leader Alexei Navalny, said Putin timed the arrest six months ago on the anniversary of his invasion of Ukraine.

There are still opposition figures, but none as famous or as beloved as Roizman.

According to political analyst Abbas Galyamov, the arrest was intended to divert attention from the conflict in Russia.

According to Galyamov, the opposition cannot be independent because more people listen to it.

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