30.1 C
Accra
Monday, December 23, 2024
WorldRussia-Ukraine war:Prosecute Putin this year,says top British lawyer

Date:

Russia-Ukraine war:Prosecute Putin this year,says top British lawyer

According to the man who masterminded the prosecution of former Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic, says  Russian President Vladimir Putin should stand trial in Ukraine this year for war crimes committed there.

Sir Geoffrey Nice told the BBC that Mr Putin was a “guilty man” in the wartime attacks on civilian targets.

The British barrister voiced his surprise that prosecutors and politicians were not “stating this out much more freely and honestly”.

Russia denies any involvement in war crimes.

But, speaking to Radio 4’s Broadcasting House programme, Sir Geoffrey described Moscow’s actions during the invasion as “crimes against humanity” – as civilian targets were being attacked.

Crimes against humanity are considered to be among the most serious offences under the so-called “rules” of war.

These laws ban attacks on civilians – or infrastructure vital to their survival – and are set out in international treaties such as the Geneva Conventions.

For example, Russia’s repeat attacks on the Ukrainian energy grid over the winter have been described as war crimes because of the harm done to civilians. Russia insists it is hitting military targets only.

Moscow’s troops have been accused by the international community of thousands of abuses since their full-scale invasion of the neighbouring country last February.

The prosecutor-general in Kyiv says more than 62,000 war crimes have so far been recorded, including the deaths of more than 450 children. The BBC has not been able to verify these figures.

Sir Geoffrey worked with International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) between 1998 and 2006.

He led the case against former Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic, who went on trial in The Hague in 2002 for war crimes committed in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo.

Mr Milosevic – once known as the “butcher of the Balkans” – died in prison before the trial concluded.

Commenting on the war in Ukraine, Sir Geoffrey said the case “couldn’t be clearer” against Mr Putin, and there was “no doubt” of a chain of command leading to the man in the Kremlin.

This meant the “most important thing” was to try the Russian leader himself, rather than low-ranking soldiers, he told Broadcasting House.

He added that any trial “could be tomorrow morning, as far as I’m concerned” and should be held by Ukrainians in the Ukrainian language. Mr Putin himself would not need to be present, he said.

Sir Geoffrey speculated over a possible reason why the Russian leader had not faced tougher action so far – suggesting there could be a move to exempt him from prosecution as part of a peace deal.

He said the International Criminal Court (ICC) – which has jurisdiction over Ukraine – “has still not made a pronouncement about Putin’s responsibility for this crime”.

Sir Geoffrey said this “reluctance” raised the question of whether there was some sort of “political advantage” to not indicting the president.

But he said the idea of any peace settlement that prevented a trial of Mr Putin was an “appalling prospect” which would be “a complete denial of justice to the people of Ukraine”.

In response, the ICC rejected any assertion of “pressure or influence” on the prosecutor, Karim Khan, to delay any investigations.

Mr Khan had “gone on record repeatedly… to demonstrate that accountability is an imperative that must be achieved”, an ICC statement said.

It added that the prosecutor had been working on the ground in Ukraine to collect evidence of war crimes – and arrest warrants would be issued when enough proof had been gathered.

Slobodan Milosevic accompanied by two guards during a hearing in 2001 ahead of his trial in The Hague
[forminator_poll id="710479"]

Latest stories

Ghana’s gold production set to increase by 3% in 2025

Ghana's gold production is expected to rise by 3%...

I hope Mahama recognizes and restore back GN Bank – Papa Kwesi Nduom

The Global Chairman of Groupe Nduom, Dr. Papa Kwesi...

Guardiola ready to bid €80M for Kudus – Reports

Manchester City is reportedly preparing to make an €80...

94 dead in Mozambique over Cyclone Chido

Cyclone Chido has caused significant devastation in Mozambique, killing...

Vice President-Elect to handle expenditure after swearing in – Ato Forson assures

Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has assured Ghanaians...

Cedi trading at GHS16.10 to a dollar at major forex bureaus

Ghana's local currency, the cedi, has experienced marginal gains...

Check out the latest prices for petrol and diesel

As the second fuel pricing window for December begins,...

Related stories

Biden grants full pardon to son Hunter amid criminal sentencing

US President Joe Biden has granted a full and...

Court issues 2-year suspended death sentence to former Bank of China Chair for bribery, others

Former Bank of China chairman Liu Liange on Tuesday received...

Ghanaians among UN peacekeepers injured in Southern Lebanon attacks

The UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon has reported...

Russia denies Trump told Putin to restrain Ukraine war efforts

The Kremlin has rejected media reports suggesting that US...

More than 100 detained as protesters defy Amsterdam’s ban on protests

Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested in Amsterdam on...

Traffic jam erupts as cyclists from Zhengzhou to Kaifeng for dumplings

A social media trend that began as a lighthearted...

Adin Ross wins $1.6m on Trump election bet after public endorsement

American streamer and social media influencer Adin Ross scored...