Following the conclusion of a preliminary investigation that has taken more than six years to complete, the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor said on December 11 that there is enough evidence for the court to open a full investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated throughout the course of the war in eastern Ukraine.
The court’s chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, noted that the preliminary investigation, which began on April 24, 2014, was thorough, independent, and had found enough evidence for the court to open a full investigation. “My office has concluded that there is a reasonable basis at this time to believe that a broad range of conduct constituting war crimes and crimes against humanity within the jurisdiction of the court have been committed in the context of the situation in Ukraine,” Ms. Bensouda said in her statement, referring to the ongoing war in eastern Ukraine that has now claimed more than 13,000 lives since the conflict began in 2014.