Attorney General Suella Braverman vows to put Russian soldiers found guilty of war crimes in Ukraine ‘behind bars’
- Evidence of Russian war crimes needs to be gathered now says Attorney General
- Ms Braverman said Putin’s soldiers may be put on trial in UK courts for atrocities
- U.S. ambassador to the UN has already accused Russia of committing war crimes
The Attorney General has vowed to put Russian soldiers found guilty of war crimes in Ukraine behind bars.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24, there have been accusations of Putin’s army breaking the Geneva Conventions – a set of treaties that lays out rules for how civilians and prisoners of war must be treated during conflict.
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield has already claimed that Russia has committed war crimes, after the of bombing a maternity hospital in Mariupol.
While, Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Attorney General Suella Braverman stressed the urgency of gathering evidence of Russia’s war crimes now.
Attorney General Suella Braverman (pictured) has vowed to put Russian soldiers found guilty of war crimes in Ukraine behind bars and stressed the urgency of gathering evidence of Russia’s war crimes now
Ukrainian emergency employees and volunteers had to evacuate pregnant woman from a damaged maternity hospital in Mariupol (pictured) after Russian shelling
United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield (pictured at a security council meeting), has directly accused Russia of war crimes
She added she had just signed a joint statement with Ukraine’s Prosecutor General, Iryna Venediktova, to reaffirm the UK Government’s support in holding ‘Russia accountable for the crimes that it is committing on Ukrainian soil’.
Ms Braverman said: ‘Russia’s crimes might be tried in the courtrooms of Kyiv, The Hague or even in the UK; but whatever the forum, it is critical to gather the evidence now… The evidence is there, the world can see it accruing. Our job now is to collect it, preserve it and use it when the moment comes.
‘We have a clear message to Russian leaders and Russian soldiers on the ground in Ukraine; your actions will have consequences and the UK will stand firmly behind Ukraine throughout its journey to justice.
‘We will always defend the Ukrainian people’s right to choose their own future. They have chosen freedom and justice. And Russia’s war criminals have chosen to be behind bars.’
A man is taken on a stretcher to Novoiavorivsk District Hospital (pictured) in Novoiavorivsk, Ukraine after series of Russian missiles struck the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security
Ambulances are seen traveling to and from the Yavoriv military facility (pictured), Ukrainian officials said that eight Russian missiles hit the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security
A patient is assisted by medical staff as he arrives at Novoiavorivsk District Hospital this morning
It was reported that Russian shelling last week in Dnipro (pictured) hit a kindergarten, an apartment building and a two-story shoe factory
Russian troops (pictured) have been accused of committing war crimes, after shelling civilian locations including a maternity hopsital
Ms Braverman went on to say that the Metropolitan Police have issued a call for evidence from anyone in the UK who may have direct evidence of war crimes in Ukraine.
She concluded by saying: ‘We have a clear message to Russian leaders and Russian soldiers on the ground in Ukraine; your actions will have consequences and the UK will stand firmly behind Ukraine throughout its journey to justice.
‘We will always defend the Ukrainian people’s right to choose their own future. They have chosen freedom and justice. And Russia’s war criminals have chosen to be behind bars.’
It comes as the Deputy Prime Minister prepares to travel to the Hague on Monday to assist the international effort to gather evidence of war crimes.
Justice Secretary Dominic Raab, a former lawyer who has prosecuted war crimes, has previously said that the UK has acquired intelligence during past investigations which would prove ‘absolutely critical’ to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The ICC has already started an investigation that could target senior officials believed to be responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide following Russian’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
What are war crimes?
War crimes are defined by the Geneva Conventions – four treaties and three additional protocols that establish international legal standards for humanitarian treatment in war.
Violations of the laws or customs of war, include:
- Atrocities or offences against persons or property, constituting violations of the laws or customs of war murder
- Ill treatment or deportation to slave labour or for any other purpose of the civilian population in occupied territory
- False surrender
- Murder or ill treatment of prisoners of war or persons on the seas
- Killing of hostages torture or inhuman treatment, including biological experiments
- Plunder of public or private property
- Wanton destruction of cities, towns or villages
- Devastation not justified by military necessity
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