United Nations's video: Int l Criminal Court Prosecutor on Ukraine - Security Council Media Stakeout 27 April 2022

Following an Arria Formula meeting of the Security Council on the situation in Ukraine, ICC Prosecutor Karim Asad Ahmad Khan today (27 April) said, “this is not really a time for talking. It's a time for action. International law cannot be a passive spectator. It can't be sedentary it needs to move with alacrity to protect and to insist on accountability.” Talking to reporters outside the Council, Khan said he had travelled to Ukraine and a team of “analysts and forensic experts, anthropologists and lawyers” has been deployed to different parts of the country. The ICC Prosecutor said, “the truth does not need to be a phantom that cannot be grasped. It’s grasped by rolling up ones’ sleeves, by working, by conducting old fashioned investigative efforts, by using modern technology, harnessing technology, whether it's satellite or radar or interception, and combining it to see what seems to be true.” Ultimately, he said, “the great safeguard of international justice is not down to a particular witness, it is not down to a particular prosecuting national authority, it's not down to me. There are judges above us, independent judges that will evaluate and weigh the evidence and ultimately make determinations.” Khan, who was sworn-in on June 2021, said, “we should feel ashamed that in 2022 we continue, in so many parts of the world, to see violence that may constitute genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. And the picture at this particular moment, the focus is on Ukraine, but in many other parts of the world, we need to do better.” He said, “I've said very clearly I don't have an agenda. I'm not in favour of Russia or against Russia, nor am I in favour of Ukraine, or against Ukraine. This is an issue of politics. What we are in favour of, and it wasn't a soundbite, is that we are in favour of the law, which is in favour of humanity, which is to protect humanity. And so, we will do our job. There's always different ways to try to get to the truth. And as long as we have the stamina, and the strategic focus and the plan in place, there are always different options to try to get to the truth.” Today’s Arria-formula meeting on “Ensuring accountability for atrocities committed in Ukraine” was convened by Albania and France and co-sponsored by Council members Ireland, Norway, the UK and the US, as well as a regionally diverse group of non-Council members. Khan’s Office is a participant in the joint investigation team (JIT) on alleged core international crimes committed in Ukraine, joining existing members Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine.