Zelensky from The Hague: Putin will be tried for war crimes when Ukraine wins the war

2023-05-04 16:32:25, Kosova & Bota CNA

Zelensky from The Hague: Putin will be tried for war crimes when Ukraine wins

President Zelenskyy is expected at the International Criminal Court in The Hague

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin will face an international trial for war crimes when Ukraine wins the war against Russia. His surprise visit to The Hague came just one day after his unannounced visit to Finland. The International Criminal Court has already issued an arrest warrant for the Russian president.

The Hague serves as the headquarters not only for this court, but also for the highest judicial body of the UN, the International Court of Justice. The Dutch city considers itself the international city of peace and justice.

The International Criminal Court has already issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"I am happy to be in your country today, in the land of freedom and justice, which are universal values. These are the things I will talk about today. Of course, of course we would all like to see another Vladimir here in The Hague, one who deserves to be punished for his criminal actions, here in the capital of international law. I am sure that we will see this happen when we have won" , said Mr. Zelensky.

But the chances that Mr. Putin will be tried in The Hague are few. The International Criminal Court does not have its own police force to enforce its rulings, and the Russian leader is unlikely to travel to one of the court's 123 member states, which have a legal obligation to arrest him.

The International Criminal Court announced last month that it had "reasonable grounds to believe" that Mr Putin and the Russian commissioner for children's rights were responsible for the illegal deportation and transfer of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia.

The court stated that " there are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr. Putin bears individual criminal responsibility " for the kidnapping of children " for committing these acts directly, or together with others, with or without the help of others" , as well as for the fact that he did not " exercise proper control over the civilian or military subordinates who committed these acts".

International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan has made repeated visits to Ukraine and is opening an office in Kiev to facilitate ongoing investigations.

However, the court does not have jurisdiction to investigate Mr Putin for the crime of aggression, i.e. the illegal attack on another sovereign country.

The Dutch government has offered to serve as host for a new court that could be created to investigate the crime of aggression, and in the meantime an office is being created to collect evidence./ VOA