Russia has engaged in “systemic war crimes” wherever it has deployed troops in Ukraine, a senior US official charged on Monday, saying he was confident Russian officials would eventually be brought to justice.
“We have increasing evidence that this aggression (the Russian invasion, editor’s note) was accompanied by systemic war crimes committed in all regions where Russian forces were deployed,” Beth Van Schaack, diplomat-in-charge, told reporters. of international criminal justice in the State. Department.
This official cited summary executions, cases of torture or inhuman treatment or the forced displacement of people and children.
The diplomat’s statements come shortly after the Ukrainian prosecutor’s office announced on Monday that it had found four “torture places” used by the Russians in Kherson (south) before their forced withdrawal from the region ten days ago.
A “new Nuremberg”
The official, who spoke of a “new Nuremberg”, in reference to the trials of Nazi leaders after World War II, said she was confident that the investigations currently being carried out, within the International Criminal Court (ICC), for example, may result in timely charges.
The ICC opened an investigation into the war in Ukraine shortly after the Russian-led invasion on February 24, and Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine also created a Joint European Investigation Team into alleged crimes committed there with the support of European justice. . Eurojust agency.
“It remains to be seen how quickly these different paths to justice can progress and a lot will depend on access and apprehension” of the suspected individuals, he said.
Source: BFM TV
