Ukrainian prosecutors to join International Criminal Court to investigate war crimes
Kyiv • UNN
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved an agreement with the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC. Ukrainian prosecutors will now directly participate in the investigation of war crimes committed by the aggressor.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved an agreement with the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, which allows Ukrainian prosecutors to directly participate in the investigation of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the aggressor country. This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General, according to UNN.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted a resolution on the signing of the draft Agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding the secondment of personnel to the ICC Office in Ukraine.
The document stipulates that Ukrainian prosecutors will directly participate in the investigation of international crimes committed by the aggressor country during the war against Ukraine. They will "collect evidence and provide procedural support for investigations" together with prosecutors of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which will ensure effective information exchange, coordination of work, and the application of international standards of criminal justice.
The agreement guarantees the independence of Ukrainian prosecutors and defines their legal status. Its implementation, as stated, will not require additional expenditures from the state budget.
The text of the agreement was created based on the typical ICC Staff Secondment Agreement and finalized by the Ministry of Justice together with the Office of the Prosecutor General in coordination with ICC representatives.
"The conclusion of the Agreement… will ensure the constant presence of Ukrainian prosecutors in the office of international justice on the territory of our state. This will significantly strengthen the evidence base in cases of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the aggressor country, contribute to the protection of victims' rights and the establishment of the principle of inevitability of punishment," the Office of the Prosecutor General added.