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Ukraine not able to prosecute Yanukovych through International Criminal Court

The ICC’s jurisdiction does not cover Ukraine because the country has not yet ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court

The International Criminal Court in the Hague EPA PHOTO ANP/ROBIN UTRECHT

The International Criminal Court in the Hague

© EPA PHOTO ANP/ROBIN UTRECHT

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Verkhovna Rada appoints early election of Kiev Mayor for May 25

THE HAGUE, February 25. /ITAR-TASS/. Ukraine cannot appeal to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague with a request to prosecute former leaders of the country, including President Viktor Yanukovych, representative of the public relations office of the International Criminal Court told Itar-Tass. “No country in the world has a right to ask the ICC to prosecute certain people,” the court’s spokesperson noted.

Moreover, the ICC’s jurisdiction does not cover Ukraine at the moment because the country has not yet ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

“Any country can decide to ratify the Rome Statute, which will give the ICC the opportunity to investigate cases that took place on the territory of the country anytime from July 1, 2002, when the document came into force,” the court’s spokesperson noted. “In any case, only the court’s prosecutor can decide whether there is sufficient ground for conducting an investigation,” the public relations office added.

The Ukrainian parliament approved on Tuesday in first reading the decision to appeal to the International Criminal Court to bring to justice Viktor Yanukovych and other officials “for crimes against humanity during peaceful protest rallies between November 30, 2013 and February 22, 2014”.

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