18:54 16.02.2024

PGO, ICC actively working on cases of deportation of Ukrainian children, killing of civilians in Hroza, destruction of grain storages – Kostin

2 min read
PGO, ICC actively working on cases of deportation of Ukrainian children, killing of civilians in Hroza, destruction of grain storages – Kostin

Prosecutor General of Ukraine Andriy Kostin has praised the intensity and openness of cooperation between Ukrainian prosecutors and the International Criminal Court (ICC) during investigation into a number of cases on the war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine.

"We closely cooperate with the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. We have specific cases in which they are interested," he said in Kyiv on Friday.

Task forces were created for the investigation into specific crimes, Kostin said.

"We work on a daily basis. And the field office of the ICC, which was opened in Kyiv last year, was an important step to ensure that the prosecutor of the ICC and the ICC will work in Ukraine permanently. We understand that not only documenting but also investigation and prosecution of war crimes will take years," the prosecutor general said.

According to Kostin, permanent presence of the ICC team in Ukraine is a very important component of support for our country in its aspiration to bring those guilty to justice, as well as demonstrates openness of Ukraine itself.

"Our cooperation with the ICC, I should say, is 100% transparent and open… Every day I sign documents on specific cases on which the ICC requests cooperation in terms of evidence and providing the ICC team with specific information. Of course, the arrest warrant for forced deportation of Ukrainian children is our ultimate goal. We anticipate the results and thoroughly work on specific cases," he said.

Kostin named several cases on which Ukraine has an information disclosure agreement with the ICC.

"We are working very intensively on the case of the massive killing of civilians in Hroza, Kharkiv region. The second case, which I can name in public, is the investigation into the destruction of grain storage facilities, mostly in the southern part of Odesa region," he said.

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