International Criminal Court deploys 42-member war crime investigating team to Ukraine
May 18, 2022
Kyiv [Ukraine], May 18 : The International Criminal Court is sending 42-member war crimes investigating team to Ukraine, the largest such deployment in its history, to look into the possible war crimes committed during the Russia-Ukraine war.
Karim Khan, the ICC chief prosecutor said, "This represents the largest-ever single field deployment by my office since its establishment."
He added that this 42-member team, which comprises investigators, forensic experts, and support staff, "will significantly enhance the impact of our forensic and investigative actions on the ground," reported DW News.
Khan made the announcement of opening the investigation into the possible war crimes shortly after the war in Ukraine began in February.
According to the media portal, the team would ensure that "evidence is collected in a manner that strengthens its admissibility in future proceedings'' at the court based in the administrative capital of the Netherlands.
The team would collect witness testimonies "relevant to military attacks." They would chase up leads and also work with Ukrainian authorities to "strengthen the chain of custody with respect to hard evidence."
Russia launched a "special military operation" in Ukraine on February 24, which the West has termed an unwarranted war. Western countries collectively imposed a barrage of sanctions on Moscow and excluded the country from the global financial system.
