Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Karim Khan has sent an official request to the Russian Federation to meet with representatives of the competent authorities and discuss the situation in Ukraine, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has said, citing the prosecutor's statement.
"The work of the prosecutor's office on the situation in Ukraine will always be carried out in accordance with the fundamental principles of the Rome Statute. We conduct our work independently, impartially and in good faith. I emphasize that I want to interact with all parties to the conflict," Khan said.
He emphasized the importance of the active participation of the Russian Federation in this investigation and that he is "ready to meet with them."
Ukraine is not a member of the ICC, but has filed two applications, recognizing the court's jurisdiction over possible crimes committed on the territory of the country, since November 21, 2013. Given the expansion of the conflict, on February 28, Khan announced his intention to include in the investigation process new possible crimes falling under the jurisdiction of the ICC.
As reported, on March 3, Khan said that after the appeal of 39 member states of the court, the ICC was launching a full-scale investigation into crimes related to Russia's military aggression against Ukraine. Later, the number of countries that applied to the court increased to 41. On March 7, public hearings on "Genocide charges in accordance with the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Ukraine v. Russia)" began.
Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow rejects allegations of war crimes in Ukraine, adding that Russia is not a member of the ICC.