ICC begins investigation into possible war crimes in Ukraine

SANAA, March 03 (YPA) – The prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has announced that he will “immediately” begin an investigation into alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

Karim AA Khan said late Wednesday that the inquiry started after 39 countries party to the Rome Statute that established the court – including Canada and France – submitted requests to the ICC to open an inquiry.

“I informed the ICC Presidency moments ago of my decision to immediately proceed with active investigations into the situation. Our work in gathering evidence has now begun,” Khan said in Wednesday’s statement.

The announcement comes a week after Russia launched a full-scale attack on Ukraine that has been condemned and sanctioned by major world powers.

On the other hand, observers expressed their surprise by the speed with which the court opened an investigation into war crimes in Ukraine, even though the war in Ukraine did not exceed eight days.

Saudi-led aggression against Yemen has been  nearly eight years, and the ICC have not opened any investigation into the crimes committed by the Saudi-American coalition of aggression against civilians in Yemen, which killed tens of thousands, in addition to the  blockade that caused the worst humanitarian tragedy in the world.

The Court also did not open investigations into Zionist war crimes against the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories.

E.M