US to share evidence of Russian war crimes with The Hague
Ukrainian Prosecutor General stated the US decision represents a "historic step" towards establishing comprehensive accountability for Russia's international crimes.
He expressed gratitude to US Attorney General Merrick Garland and colleagues from the US Department of Justice for their cooperation.
I extend my sincere gratitude to Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and all other colleagues at the US Department of Justice for standing with Ukraine on the front lines of justice, Prosecutor Andrii Kostin wrote.
He added that every meeting, letter, and hearing in the US Congress brings Ukraine closer to the ultimate goal of stopping Russia and bringing the Kremlin's criminal regime to justice for all its atrocities.
I hope that our transatlantic cooperation between Ukraine, the US Department of Justice and the Office of the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, will continue, paving the way for significant decisions, Kostin said.
Last year, the US Congress legislatively allowed the sharing of critical evidence of war crimes and intelligence with the International Criminal Court.
However, the Pentagon opposes providing the International Criminal Court with evidence of Russia's war crimes in Ukraine, collected by American intelligence agencies, because they fear creating a precedent for bringing Americans to justice in the future.
Putin is already a suspect of people abduction, including children, from the occupied territories of Ukraine to Russia, in accordance with the articles of the Rome Statute. The crimes were committed in the occupied territories at least since 24 February 2022.
Ukrainain prosecutors explained that Putin now has the official status of a suspect in an international crime. An arrest warrant means that outside of Russia, Putin has to be detained and brought to court. He can be detained on the territory of countries that have ratified the Rome Statute. Ukraine has only signed it, but not ratified it.
