Despite Threats from Russia, ICC to Open Office in Ukraine
Despite Threats from Russia, ICC to Open Office in Ukraine
ICC has expressed concern over “threats” from Russia following its issuing of a war crimes arrest warrant for President Putin.
By RMN News Service
The Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Kostin Andriy, and the Registrar of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Peter Lewis, signed a cooperation agreement today (23 March 2023) for the establishment of an ICC country office in Ukraine.
“We are very grateful for the cooperation, support and assistance we have received from the Government of Ukraine and look forward to strengthening our cooperation in the future,” ICC Registrar Peter Lewis said.
Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin, signing on behalf of Ukraine, stated: “The historic decision by the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber to issue the arrest warrant for the sitting head of the Russian state, Mr Putin, marks a new phase in the global pursuit of justice. I firmly believe that the opening of the ICC country office in Ukraine marks the beginning of a new chapter in our close cooperation with the Court.
“This is just a start, a strong start, and I’m convinced that we will not stop until all perpetrators of international crimes committed in Ukraine are brought to justice, independently of their political or military position”.
The ICC has a Liaison Office to the United Nations in New York and seven field presence/country offices: Kinshasa and Bunia (Democratic Republic of the Congo, “DRC”); Kampala (Uganda); Bangui (Central African Republic, “CAR”); Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire); Tbilisi (Georgia); and Bamako (Mali).
ICC field presence/country offices are essential to develop and maintain cooperative relationships with key stakeholders in situation countries and to support the Court’s mandate and resulting activities in these countries.
Meanwhile, ICC has expressed concern over “threats” from Russia following its issuing of a war crimes arrest warrant for President Putin. It is learnt that Russia has opened a criminal case against ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan and the judges who issued the warrant for Putin.
