Countries call on ICC to probe war crimes

Australia has joined the UK and 37 other countries, the largest referral in the history of the court.

Boris Johnson told parliament on Wednesday night that Vladimir Putin was ‘guilty of a war crime’ after civilians were bombed in Ukraine. Picture: AFP

Australia has helped expedite an International Criminal Court investigation into war crimes in Ukraine.

Australia has joined the UK and 37 other countries, the largest referral in the history of the court, enabling the investigation into Russia’s actions of the past week to begin without judicial approval.

ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan said on Thursday (AEDT) an active probe “will immediately proceed”.

“I have notified the ICC Presidency a few moments ago of my decision to immediately proceed with active investigations of the situation in Ukraine,” Mr Karim Khan said. “Our work in the collection of evidence has now commenced.”

Mr Khan announced on Monday he was opening a probe into alleged war crimes committed after Russia’s invasion last week.

He said he believed there was a “reasonable basis” to believe that crimes within the court’s jurisdiction had been committed, but needed The Hague-based court’s judges to approve his decision before going ahead. However, the ICC countries’ referral now means that Mr Khan’s probe can continue without the judges’ approval, speeding up the process.

The UK government said Russia’s use of indiscriminate force against civilians in its illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine amounted to war crimes, for which the Putin regime must be held accountable. Prime Minister Boris Johnson told parliament on Wednesday night that Russian President Vladimir Putin was “guilty of a war crime” after civilians were bombed in Ukraine, echoing an earlier accusation by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.