The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court investigating alleged war crimes in Ukraine will travel to London next week as he prepares the first arrest warrant against Russia for alleged wrongdoing in the years-long conflict.
Karim Khan is scheduled to attend a war crimes conference organized by the British government on Monday, according to three people familiar with the plans. Khan, a British lawyer, has submitted an application for an arrest warrant for a Russian citizen to a pre-trial judge in The Hague, one of the people said.
Accountability for crimes committed during Russia’s war against Ukraine is a major focus area for western countries, which support investigations into tens of thousands of alleged executions, child abductions, torture and sexual violence as well as attacks on civilian infrastructure and forced deportations.
ICC prosecutors opened an investigation into war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity in Ukraine more than a year ago, and Khan has traveled to the country four times since then, to meet with Ukrainian investigators and assess the evidence collected.
The preparation of the arrest warrant was first reported by the New York Times.
Western officials believe that the trial and conviction of Russian war criminals will be a critical point of the post-war framework in which Moscow can be held accountable for its actions and will legally contribute financially to the reconstruction of Ukraine before international sanctions against the country can be lifted.
Russia has denied that its forces committed war crimes or atrocities against civilians during the conflict. However, Moscow has accused Kyiv of fabricating evidence and blaming Ukrainian soldiers for some atrocities.
Ukraine is not a member of the ICC but has recognized the court’s jurisdiction over events occurring in the country since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea.
Khan’s trip to Ukraine has included visits to Bucha, a town near Kyiv where mass graves were found, and parts of eastern Ukraine where settlements were destroyed by artillery fire. Last month’s visit focused on Russian missile attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
The ICC has repeatedly stressed that it will take years to collect and process the large amount of photographic and video footage taken by private citizens as well as the evidence collected by the Ukrainianance
Legal experts have warned that pressure for convictions will test the limits of an underfunded system criticized for its limited success in convicting those responsible for previous war crimes.
The UK announced in January that it would hold a conference next week together with the Netherlands, which has taken a leading role in supporting support for the ICC and other routes to accountability, such as special courts or through the UN.
Didier Reynders, the European Union’s Justice Commissioner, will also attend the London conference, along with Ukraine’s chief prosecutor Andriy Kostin. Reynders is expected to emphasize the importance of prosecuting those suspected of involvement in the deportation of children from Ukraine, according to people briefed on his presence.
Reynders will also voice the EU’s “full support” for the ICC’s “central role” in prosecuting war crimes in Ukraine, even as Brussels continues to discuss other potential options.