12:56 25.07.2015

Poroshenko's go-ahead needed to forward case against Russia, self-proclaimed Donbas republics to ICC – PGO

2 min read

Ukraine has drawn up all the necessary documents for going to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague to prosecute the leadership of the Russian Federation and the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR) for crimes against humanity, and the only thing necessary for this procedure to be started is Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's endorsement, Ukrainian Deputy Prosecutor General Vitaliy Kasko said.

"I think this [the documents for the court] has got stuck somewhere in the Cabinet of Ministers. We've provided all information. In any case, it's hard to accuse the Cabinet of Ministers of something, because, for the process to be started, the head of state's appeal is needed, as the parliament's resolution is not enough," Kasko told Interfax on Friday.

The Ukrainian president has to formally refer the case to the ICC Office of the Prosecutor so that it starts considering it.

"The Foreign Ministry has passed a draft of this appeal to the presidential office, but, as far as I know, it has still not been signed, and therefore, without having this appeal, it makes no sense to forward these materials," Kasko said.

It is important for Ukraine to ratify the Rome Statute so that Kyiv's work with the ICC proceeds in due manner, Kasko said. "Actually it is very desirable to ratify the Rome Statute. We have still not done this for some reason, although the Prosecutor General's Office has signed relevant bills every time and is more than in favor of ratifying the Rome Statute, so that everything should go in the manner it stipulates," Kasko said.

On February 4, the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada recognized the ICC's jurisdiction over crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by Russian officials and the leaders of the DPR and LPR, which led to grave consequences. The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office drew up the necessary documents for applying to the ICC and passed them to the Cabinet of Ministers.

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