The Hague starts investigation into armed conflict in South Ossetia
The International Criminal Court (ICC) initiates investigation into armed conflict in South Ossetia in 2008
The ICC Prosecutor, Mrs. Fatou Bensouda, notified of her intention to submit a request to a Pre-Trial Chamber for authorization to open an investigation into the situation in Georgia.
This stated in the press release, published on the official website of the International Criminal Court.
The ICC Prosecutor announced the preliminary examination of the Situation in Georgia on 14 August 2008.
“On the basis of the information available, Prosecutor Bensouda has concluded that there is a reasonable basis to believe that crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court have been committed in Georgia in the context of the armed conflict of August 2008. The Prosecutor indicated that, pursuant to article 15(3) of the Rome Statute, she will shortly submit a request to the Pre-Trial Chamber for authorisation to open an investigation into this Situation,” reads the press release.
Pre-Trial Chamber I is composed of Judge Joyce Aluoch (Presiding, Kenya), Judge Cuno Tarfusser (Italy), and Judge Péter Kovács (Hungary).
Once the Prosecutor will have submitted her request, it will then be for the Judges of Pre-Trial Chamber I to decide on opening an investigation into the Situation based on the documents and other evidence.
As Ukrainian human rights activist Volodymyr Yavorsky noted on his Facebook page, this case is very important for Ukraine. “Today the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court asked the International Criminal Court to grant permission to start a full investigation into international crimes committed in the territory of Georgia during the war between Georgia and the Russian Federation in August 2008. For us, this case is very important because it is a test for whether it is possible to prosecute the military of Russia,” he posted.
