Russia’s Duma asks foreign ministry to initiate international probe in Kiev regime actions

Russia May 06, 2014, 15:26

Russian lawmaker recalled these crimes are also “within jurisdiction of the international court, because political leadership gives orders and the so-called national guard or military perform them.”

MOSCOW, May 06. /ITAR-TASS/. United Russia faction’s lawmaker of the State Duma lower house of parliament Mikhail Markelov asked the country’s Foreign Ministry to initiate an inquiry in actions of current Kiev authorities at the Hague International Criminal Court. The lawmaker will send an address to this effect to Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday.

“An individual cannot address to the Hague International Criminal Court, because this is within jurisdiction of a state,” he told ITAR-TASS, adding that “I ask the Foreign Ministry to initiate this address from Russia.” In his words, the initiative dwells on facts of genocide against Russian-speaking population, primarily recent events in the Ukrainian Black Sea port city of Odessa where civilians were actually burnt alive.

Speaking on military actions in Ukraine, he recalled these crimes are also “within jurisdiction of the international court, because the political leadership gives orders and the so-called national guard or military perform them.” “We have already had a precedent when such international crimes were tried and Yugoslavian leaders Slobodan Milosevic and Ratko Mladic were convicted for them. They were accused of similar crimes, including execution of civilians,” he said. Markelov believes that the degree of responsibility of the Kiev regime can be easily found with available huge amount of evidence, including testimony of eyewitnesses and historic videos.

Asked about chances to try the case in the Hague International Tribunal Markelov stated that the international criminal court should reply to such addresses. The lawmaker is confident that a response will follow, but it is still difficult to say whether it will be negative or positive. “The International Criminal Court should respond to facts of extermination of civilians by punitive squads and people who are in power in Ukraine should be brought to justice,” he stated.

Markelov also affirms that the genocide of the Russian speakers in Ukraine continues, noting that the situation will keep worsening in the future.

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