Ukraine continues to collect evidence of Putin’s involvement in genocide

OFFICIALS in Ukraine are continuing to gather evidence of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s involvement in crimes against humanity and genocide of Ukrainian residents, according to the country’s Prosecutor General.

Speaking during a recent TV broadcast, Iryna Venediktova said that investigations are continuing into alleged war crimes and genocide of Ukrainian civilians at the hands of Putin’s army and that Ukraine has “over 11000 ongoing cases of war crimes and 40 suspects”.

“Throughout the civilised world there remain people under functional immunity. This is President Putin of the Russian Federation,” she said.

“We are gathering all the evidence where he has something to do with the crime of aggression, with crimes against humanity and with the crime of genocide. But we cannot openly, as long as he is the president, bring an accusation.”

Venediktova stressed that in the context of a possible prosecution of the Russian leadership, the Ukrainian side is placing “a big bet, a big hope” on the International Criminal Court.

“So is Foreign Minister Lavrov – he is under functional immunity. And the third person is the prime minister. But that does not mean we do not collect evidence of their criminal activities – we all do. Because with genocide, as Ukrainian justice can move, so can the ICC,” she assured.

The Prosecutor General also noted that Ukrainian law enforcers have been investigating the genocide case since the first day of the Russian aggression, and there are two suspects of genocidal incitement as of Friday, May 13.

“When we are ready to come out with the qualification ‘genocide’ with specific persons we will accuse of it, you will know about it right away,” Venediktova added.

The Prosecutor General said on Twitter on Friday, May 13, that Ukraine has “over 11000 ongoing cases of war crimes and already 40 suspects.”

She said she is “confident that in the nearest future we will see other cases being transferred to courts and perpetrators appearing before judges. We will ensure that these cases are brought to their logical end.”

We have over 11000 ongoing cases of war crimes and already 40 suspects. I am confident that in the nearest future we will see other cases being transferred to courts and perpetrators appearing before judges. We will ensure that these cases are brought to their logical end. pic.twitter.com/xnkLC6G5vy

— Iryna Venediktova (@VenediktovaIV) May 13, 2022

During her TV appearance, she revealed that 11280 war crimes cases are being investigated in Ukraine and more than 5 thousand cases related to them.

“More than 50,000 interrogations have already been conducted in the former – both victims and witnesses, including evacuees and refugees at border checkpoints, as well as exchanged Ukrainian prisoners of war.”

She added: “Such cases that relate to national security – there are 5,360 of them as of Friday, May 13. Those on 111 and adjacent (Criminal Code articles 111 – 111-2) – more than 1 thousand cases,” as reported by delo.ua.

On Thursday, April 29, Ukraine thanked a European council for ‘efforts to set up a special ad hoc tribunal’ aimed at convicting Russia of ‘war crimes‘ which Putin’s forces are alleged to have carried out in Ukraine.

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