Persecution of Russian war criminals at national level deserves highest praise – IBA executive director

Ukrainian national investigations and court proceedings will be key to holding the Russian Federation accountable for war crimes, and Ukraine is making every possible effort to achieve this, emphasizes expert in international law and Executive Director of the International Bar Association (IBA) Mark Ellis.

In an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine, Ellis said that Russia as a state has committed every war crime known to the world and described in books against Ukraine, and the scale of these crimes – 250,000 separate documented incidents – is staggering.

"Ukraine is holding people accountable for atrocity crimes while the war is still ongoing. That’s unique! Investigating and prosecuting war crimes is a complex process in itself, and it’s even more difficult during a war. And that is what Ukraine is doing!" the expert in international law stressed.

He noted that national investigations and court proceedings will be key to holding Russia accountable.

"There is, if you will, a mosaic of accountability for atrocity crimes comprising the International Criminal Court (ICC), cases heard in other countries’ courts under the principle of universal jurisdiction, the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression and national prosecutions," Ellis explained.

According to him, cases within national jurisdiction are the most important, since the overwhelming majority of cases will not be heard by the ICC, brought before courts in other countries or considered by the tribunal.

"Ukraine is devoting significant effort, resources, and talented individuals to building an effective system for holding war criminals accountable. I give Ukraine’s work in this regard the highest praise!" the IBA executive director concluded.

The full text of Ellis’s interview will be published on the Interfax-Ukraine website.