The Deputy Prime Minister has expressed his continued support for the International Criminal Court’s investigation into war crimes in Ukraine.
Dominic Raab, the Deputy Prime Minister, announced a second package of support for the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation into alleged war crimes in Ukraine today (6 June 2022).
In addition to the £1 million in money allocated earlier this year, a specialist legal and police team will be offered to assist with the probe.
A dedicated Metropolitan Police Officer will be stationed in the Hague to provide the ICC with quick access to additional British police and military experience. Seven UK lawyers with extensive knowledge in international criminal law have offered to assist in the discovery of evidence and prosecution of war criminals.
Prosecutor Khan and Government ministers will meet to explore how UK expertise can continue to help unearth evidence of war crimes in Ukraine. The UK has been at the forefront of the global response supporting the ICC.
Dominic Raab, the Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor, and Secretary of State for Justice, said
The UK has responded swiftly to a request from the International Criminal Court for more police and lawyers to aid their investigation into Russian war crimes in Ukraine.
Russian forces should know that they will be held to account for their actions and the global community will work together to ensure justice is served.
The Attorney General, Suella Braverman QC MP, said:
Following my appointment of war crimes expert Sir Howard Morrison as an Independent Adviser to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office, I am determined that British expertise continues to be available to our friends in Ukraine in their search for justice.
We will stand side by side as they uncover the truth and hold those responsible in Putin’s regime to account for their actions.
The total package of support includes:
- A police liaison officer based in The Hague to lead on swift information sharing between the UK and the ICC
- Offer of seven legal experts to date to support the ICC investigation with expertise in international criminal law and the handling of evidence to be presented to court
- Two police officers with expertise in collection of intelligence through publicly available data sources
- Ongoing defence analysis and monitoring of events in Ukraine, including preservation of any evidence relating to war crimes
- Delivery of bespoke war crimes investigation training to Ukrainian police on behalf of the ICC, in collaboration with the Norwegian Police
As evidence is received from prospective witnesses in the UK, officers from the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Unit will continue to provide forensic and technical skills, such as biometrics and digital device analysis.
The Ministry of Justice in the United Kingdom is also speeding up talks with City legal firms and barristers in order to be ready to deploy at the appropriate stage of the inquiry.
The Attorney General visited Ukraine earlier this month, leading a delegation of war crimes experts to the region to support Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova’s work.
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