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Landsbergis: "We have taken an arduous path towards achieving justice and punishment for the initiators of the January 13 aggression. We, therefore, appreciate the ICC's role in ensuring accountability for the war crimes in Ukraine"

Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

2023.06.13

On 12 June, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis met with the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Karim Khan.

"We have taken an arduous path towards achieving justice and punishment for the initiators of the January 13 aggression. We, therefore, particularly appreciate the role of the International Criminal Court and its Prosecutor Karim Khan, in ensuring accountability for the war crimes and other international crimes perpetrated by Russia in Ukraine. They are plenty, ranging from the deportation of children to deadly attacks on civilians, dams and power plants. All of these crimes need to be thoroughly investigated, so the International Court of Justice needs our support," the Foreign Minister said.

"Unfortunately, the International Court of Justice cannot deal with the crime of aggression against Ukraine, which also gives rise to other international crimes against Ukraine. Therefore, together with Ukraine, we call for creating a special international tribunal that the international community would mandate to prosecute Russian leaders responsible for the unprovoked aggression against Ukraine."

The meeting discussed international processes in detail to achieve full accountability for Russian and Belarusian individuals responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated during the war of aggression against Ukraine.

The Foreign Minister also forwarded to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court information gathered by the Belarusian opposition forces that more than 2,000 Ukrainian children, mostly orphans, had been illegally transferred from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine to camps in Belarus at the beginning of the Russian war against Ukraine, possibly with the instruction or approval of the Belarusian regime.

Last week, after assessing the request of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabrielius Landsbergis, the Lithuanian Prosecutor's Office opened a pre-trial investigation into the deportation and displacement of civilians and the separation of children.