The chief prosecutor in Ukraine has sought assistance from Poland in the gathering of evidence to prove that war crimes have been committed by Russian forces during the country’s invasion of Ukraine, Poland’s Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro has revealed.
In an interview with the wPolityce.pl news outlet, Ziobro informed that Irina Venedyktova, the lead prosecutor in Ukraine, had reached out for help in the compiling of evidence which may be used in future legal action in the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands , to bring the Putin regime to justice.
Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro explained that the gathering of evidence of war crimes is a serious step necessary to exert more pressure on Russia and its military.
“Such actions need to be carried out so that the perpetrators know that their actions are being documented,” Ziobro told the news outlet. “The task of the international community will be to work out a judicial model thanks to which those responsible will be sentenced one day. I am convinced that the time will come when the perpetrators will be brought to justice,” he added.
The Polish minister signaled that his public prosecutors will hear from witnesses and will gather electronic evidence of offenses committed by Russian forces. He promised his Ukrainian counterpart that he was ready to coordinate efforts on this matter with other public prosecutors across Europe.
“We keep in touch with the ministries of justice of many Member States so that the response of the judiciary of EU countries is coordinated, consistent and decisive,” Ziobro explained.
One issue which will have to be overcome is the fact that Russia is not covered by the jurisdiction of the Hague Tribunal, however Ziobro believes the ICC has “grounds for action,” relying upon a precedent set by the court back in 2015 in which the court held that crimes committed on Ukrainian territory fell under its jurisdiction.
