The United States has joined some 45 countries in agreeing to coordinate investigations into alleged war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine, with the Netherlands raising the possibility of creating a special tribunal to judge them. An international meeting in The Hague comes amid reports of another deadly Russian missile attack in Ukraine.
Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said justice must be delivered against alleged Russian atrocities in Ukraine — possibly by setting up a special tribunal to judge them.
“The way I understand it, we have to fill the vacuum and the ICC (International Criminal Court) doesn’t have the jurisdiction. So I can imagine that we do look into coming up such a tribunal," Hoekstra said. "As the Netherlands we will take an open look into this. It will probably not be easy. There is merit in doing that with as many friends as possible from the international community…”
Ukraine has already called for such a tribunal — similar to those set up to judge atrocities committed during the Rwandan genocide or the former Yugoslavia.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated that demand by video link during Thursday’s so-called "Ukraine accountability" meeting in the Netherlands.
Countries attending pledged $20 million to support the U.N.’s International Criminal Court, or ICC, and other experts probing alleged atrocities linked to the Russian-launched conflict in Ukraine.
Russia has denied targeting civilians in Ukraine.
The ICC doesn’t have the jurisdiction to prosecute suspected perpetrators because neither Ukraine nor Russia are court members.
But ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said the tribunal did have powerful tools to help deliver justice, and that coordination among countries was key.
“This has to go beyond Ukraine because every life matters. No people of the world are more precious than other people," Khan said. "
Speaking on behalf of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. human rights envoy Uzra Zeya said alleged Russian atrocities in Ukraine mirrored those it’s committed elsewhere.
