Speaking to CNN’s Jake Tapper on Lead, Irina Venediktov said Ukraine had identified more than 500 suspects in the extensive investigation, including Russian politicians, military and propaganda agents, “who wanted this war, who started this war and who has continued this war “
“We want to prosecute these war criminals in our Ukrainian courts, named by Ukraine,” Venediktov said, while acknowledging the role of the International Criminal Court.
Her comments come as shocking atrocities in Ukraine that are allegedly in the hands of Russian forces, reinforcing calls to prosecute war crimes allegations against Russian President Vladimir Putin. After images of at least 20 bodies scattered across the street in Bucha, Ukraine, surfaced earlier this month, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has called for an end to Russia’s “war crimes.” Russia has denied any involvement in the incident, claiming – without evidence – that the atrocities in Bucha were staged and part of a “planned media campaign”. But witnesses with CNN said the massacre in the city began weeks ago when it was occupied by Russian forces, and the video depicts Russian forces seemingly firing indiscriminately on civilians.
Venediktov said on Monday that she had made multiple visits to Bucha, where the community “is still exhuming dead bodies from mass graves”.
“These are not just war crimes. Now we can say – many crimes against humanity,” she said.
Scenes on the outskirts of Kyiv have sparked international outrage, with Western leaders – including President Joe Biden – calling for investigations into war crimes and new sanctions against Russia.
The president said earlier this month that the Bucha photos justify calling Putin a “war criminal,” adding, “but we need to gather information. We must continue to provide Ukraine with the weapons it needs to continue the battle, and we have to get all the details so that this can be true – to conduct a war crimes trial. “
The ICTY’s top war crimes prosecutor has traveled to Ukraine to investigate, and the US embassy in Kyiv said in the early days of the war that specific Russian attacks were war crimes.
Anyone charged with a crime in the jurisdiction of the court can be tried. The court judges people, not states, and focuses on those who have the greatest responsibility: leaders and officials.
However, investigations at the International Criminal Court took many years and only a few sentences were won.
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