The Ukrainian parliament voted Wednesday for kyiv to join the International Criminal Court, hoping to punish Russia for alleged war crimes committed on its territory, according to several lawmakers. The issue is a hotly debated topic in the country, with the military demanding “that ratification be postponed until the end of martial law.”
After years of procrastination and despite opposition from the military, the Ukrainian parliament voted Wednesday for Kiev to join the International Criminal Court (ICC) in hopes of punishing Russia for alleged war crimes committed in Ukraine, several lawmakers said. The issue is highly sensitive in Ukraine, with many fearing that its armed forces fighting against the Russian army could in turn be targeted by the ICC, whose mission is to prosecute perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba welcomed the “historic decision.” “It was a long journey full of challenges, myths and fears. None of them were true. And today, we are finally here,” he said on the social network X. In total, 281 parliamentarians voted to ratify the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the ICC, while a minimum of 226 was required, and for Ukraine to become the 125th member of this institution, several elected officials announced on social networks.
The vote in Parliament was preceded by “difficult discussions”
This decision will open up “greater possibilities to punish the Russians and will strengthen the isolation of Russia,” welcomed on Facebook the deputy of the presidential party Yevgenia Kravchuk. According to her, Ukraine invoked Article 124 of the Rome Statute which exempts, for seven years, any Ukrainian, civilian or military, from any prosecution for war crimes by the ICC.
The ratification of this document submitted to Parliament by President Volodymyr Zelensky is part of kyiv’s commitments to the European Union, she added: “This is a necessary, fully justified and safe measure,” the MP said. The vote in Parliament was preceded by “difficult discussions,” said an opposition MP, Iryna Gerashchenko, who, like her party European Solidarity, did not support this text.
“The military asked that the ratification be postponed until the end of martial law,” she added on Telegram. “No one has explained what will happen after” the seven years of exemption provided for by Article 124, said Iryna Gerashchenko. After the Russian military began its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the ICC has already issued arrest warrants for President Vladimir Putin and several other senior Russian civilian and military officials for alleged crimes in Ukraine.
Kyiv is “already working” with the ICC to “ensure comprehensive accountability for all Russian atrocities” in Ukraine, Kuleba stressed. “This work will now be even more effective.” Ukraine has been embroiled in war for ten years: in 2014, Russia first annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula and launched hostilities in the east of the country, before launching a full-scale invasion in February 2022.
This article is originally published on europe1.fr
