First results of ICC's investigation into crimes in Ukraine will be in 2023

Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin has said that he is confident the first results of the investigation into Russia's war crimes in Ukraine, conducted by the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), will be announced this year.

Source: Kostin at a press conference on Wednesday, 22 February, dedicated to the anniversary of Russian full-scale invasion, reports European Pravda, referring to Ukrinform

Quote: "We approach every proceeding that will be further considered by the ICC carefully, in cooperation with the prosecutors of the ICC. You will certainly see the result of our work this year. I cannot reveal more detail yet, but this year you will see the result. I hope that it will happen sooner. A lot of people are working on it," the Prosecutor General noted.

Details: He clarified that the majority of war crimes committed by Russians in Ukraine, "approximately 99%", will be examined in Ukrainian courts, and international institutions will play "the complementary role for which they were created".

In addition, Kostin announced that a branch of the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court will be opened in Kyiv within a few weeks, and a little later, branches will be opened in cities closer to the contact line.

Background: On 2 March, the International Criminal Court launched an investigation into possible crimes committed in Ukraine. A joint investigative group, which includes several European judicial bodies, was created to collect evidence of Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

While the ICC can deal with war crimes committed by individuals, they do not have jurisdiction to prosecute the crime of aggression. In this regard, Ukraine is promoting the idea of creating a special tribunal against Russia.

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