UK cross-party leader says Russia must face ‘crime of aggression’ in Ukraine in court

Call for special court to investigate Russia’s ‘crime of aggression’ Ukraine Backed by senior British politicians across the political divide, the move is aimed at showing Vladimir Putin and his generals that they will be held accountable.

in a Joint Statement share with observerfigures including Labor leader Keir Starmer, former NATO secretary general George Robertson, former foreign secretary David Owen and former Conservative leader Ian Duncan Smith said a court should be set up to investigate “obvious “Unlawful War,” the principle by which the Allies met in 1941 and laid the groundwork for the war crimes trials of Nazi leaders at Nuremberg.

Although the International Criminal Court (ICC) already looking for Proponents of a special tribunal for allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the Ukrainian invasion say it is necessary because the ICC does not have the authority to examine crimes of aggression. The United Nations defines an act of aggression as “an invasion or attack by the armed forces of one State on the territory of another State, or any military occupation”.

Its advocates say a special court would put further pressure on Russia and Putin. That would deter senior Russian officials from traveling abroad for fear of arrest, show solidarity with Ukraine, which has lodged a plea with the court, and send a message to the international community that aggression will not go unpunished.it will also examine role of belarus.

“Ten months have passed since Russia, backed by Belarus, launched one of Europe’s largest ground invasions since World War II,” they wrote. “Since then, thousands of Ukrainian civilians dead or injured, 8 million people were internally displaced and some 8 million were refugees. Civilian infrastructure and economic assets worth tens of billions of dollars have been destroyed or looted, and irreplaceable cultural monuments have been reduced to rubble.

“If proven in court, these acts of aggression could constitute what the Nuremberg trials called the ‘supreme international crime.’ Because most other international crimes – war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide – tend to stem from the crime of aggression.”

The statement was drafted by former prime minister Gordon Brown and law professor Philip Sands. come up with the idea first special court. Others who signed the statement included human rights barristers Cherie Blair and Helena Kennedy.

The Netherlands had earlier offered to host such a UN-backed tribunal. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also said a new tribunal with broad support was needed to ensure Russia’s aggression would not go unpunished. A Ukrainian delegation traveled to the United States last month to try to drum up support for the move.

A UK government spokesman said: “There is mounting evidence of horrific atrocities committed during Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine. We have actively supported the justice system, investigations and prosecutions in Ukraine, as well as the International Criminal Court Ongoing investigation. Of course, we are seriously considering other proposals for holding mechanisms Russia bookkeeping. “

The move came as Russia continued its attacks across Ukraine on Saturday even as it announced a unilateral ceasefire to celebrate the Orthodox Christmas. In the east of Bakhmut, a civilian couple in their 60s were killed in an attack.

Some of the fiercest fighting took place near the town of Kremina, near Lugansk, the Ministry of Defense said. The Russian-appointed governor of Sevastopol in Crimea also said air defenses shot down a Ukrainian drone that apparently tried to attack the port.

The Ukrainian government has rejected the ceasefire, seeing it as a cynical move by the Kremlin, especially after Russia’s onslaught of attacks on Dec. 25 and during New Year’s celebrations.

In Kyiv, priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church held a Ukrainian-language Christmas service at the historic Pechersk Monastery, one of the city’s most important religious sites. Just a few weeks ago, it was under the control of the Moscow-loyal Orthodox Church, whose priests were widely suspected across Ukraine of pro-Kremlin sympathies.