Vladimir Putin is not immune from war crimes prosecution if the evidence points towards him, according to the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) chief prosecutor.
Karim A. A. Khan QC, who is currently investigating offences on the ground in Ukraine, told Euronews that the Russian president’s position would not allow him to escape with impunity.
“Neither superior orders a defence, nor is the official position of an individual as a general or as a president or as a prime minister grounds for immunity,” the prosecutor said.
“There’s no immunity for international crimes, and one of the Nuremberg principles, as you’ll know, is that there’s no statute of limitations for war crimes or crimes against humanity.”
Russia is accused of committing war crimes throughout Ukraine, with rape, murder and torture all being used against the civilian population.
It comes as missile strikes launched on Monday by Moscow killed at least 19 people and wounded 105 in Ukraine.
Khan said these kinds of attacks are unacceptable if found to be true.
“One thing is clear: you cannot deliberately, intentionally target civilian objects, schools and hospitals, places of residence of civilians unless they’re being used to gain a distinct military advantage,” he said on Wednesday.
“Even then, there is a rule of proportionality. And this is something, you know, applicable.
“Of course, you can extrapolate from that in terms of a variety of different targets, whether they’re bridges or energy locations. But spreading terror is not allowed. And then one is to look at things as part of an overall pattern, as opposed to just a one off instance.”
The ICC prosecutor also said international law is more relevant than ever, given the current tensions between Russia and the West.
