Admin I Wednesday, March 06, 2024
THE HAGUE – The International Criminal Court, ICC has issued arrest warrants on two Russian commanders for their complicity in the war in Ukraine.
The affected generals are Sergei Ivanovich Kobylash, a Lieutenant General in the Russian Armed Forces who at the relevant time was Commander of the Long-Range Aviation of the Aerospace Force and Viktor Nikolayevich Sokolov, an Admiral in the Russian Navy, who at the relevant time was Commander of the Black Sea Fleet.
The ICC issued the arrest warrants two years after it opened an investigation, and one year following the issuance of the warrants against Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova.
“On the basis of evidence collected and analysed by my Office pursuant to its independent investigations, the Pre-Trial Chamber has confirmed that there are reasonable grounds to believe that General Kobylash and Admiral Sokolov bear individual criminal responsibility for the following three crimes: 1) the war crime of directing attacks against civilian objects (article 8(2)(b)(ii) of the Rome Statute); 2) the war crime of causing excessive incidental harm to civilians or damage to civilian objects (article 8(2)(b)(iv) of the Rome Statute); and 3) the crime against humanity of inhumane acts under article 7(1)(k) of the Rome Statute”, the ICC said in a statement.
Office of the prosecutor submitted that these individuals bear responsibility for attacks on critical infrastructure in Ukraine, including strikes against power plants and sub-stations, from 10 October 2022 until at least 9 March 2023.
“My Office presented evidence that these strikes were directed against civilian objects, and for those installations that may have qualified as military objectives at the relevant time, the expected incidental civilian harm and damage would have been clearly excessive to the anticipated military advantage.
“After reviewing the evidence submitted, the Pre-Trial Chamber has determined that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the alleged campaign by the Russian Armed Forces during this period represents a course of conduct involving the multiple commission of acts against a civilian population, pursuant to a State policy, within the meaning of Article 7 of the Statute, establishing the basis for the finding that they may represent a crime against humanity under article 7(1)(k) of the Statute.
“The Pre-Trial Chamber has also found that there are reasonable grounds to believe that these commanders are criminally responsible for committing these crimes jointly or through others, for ordering their commission, and/or for failing to exercise proper control over their subordinates who carried out the crimes”, the ICC said.
