ICC: Human rights groups calls upon Ukraine authorities to commit to accountability for international crimes

30/09/2019
Open Letter
en fa

On 23 September 2019, human rights NGOs, including FIDH and the Center for Civil Liberties (CCL), its member organisation in Ukraine, sent a letter to the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling for prompt ratification of the Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and commitment to fight impunity for international crimes domestically.

"Ukraine’s criminal laws are in dire need of reform. Ukraine should adopt its draft law (0892) which passed its first reading in June 2019 as this will enable it to align its legal framework with the principles outlined in the Rome Statute and international humanitarian law."

Oleksandra Matviychuk, Chair of CCL Board

"Ukraine’s new authorities should put accountability for international crimes at the forefront of their agenda. We encourage them to ratify the ICC Statute, cooperate with the Court in the framework of the ongoing preliminary examination on Ukraine and take concrete measures to enable effective domestic investigations and prosecutions for international crimes. These steps can only contribute to enabling victims’ access to justice and deterring possible future crimes."

Delphine Carlens, Deputy Head of FIDH International Justice Desk

You can find the joint open letter here.

Read more