A Lithuanian lawyer Eglė Matuizienė will join the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor’s investigation into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity carried out by Russia in Ukraine.
Lithuania organised the first ever selection process for the ICC, after which Matuizienė was selected to work in the Hague.
“The war in Ukraine is one of the most worrying issues in Europe and is of particular relevance to Lithuania, as we see it not only as a tragedy for the people of Ukraine but also as a broader security issue for Europe and Lithuania,” Matuzienė told LRT RADIO.
“I believe that there are no people in Lithuania who are indifferent to the war in Ukraine, and I am not indifferent either. Therefore, I decided to take the opportunity to contribute to the investigation of crimes in Ukraine,” she added.
According to Matuzienė, Ukraine has already convicted some of the perpetrators of war crimes, and the objective of the ICC is to prosecute those responsible for the decision-making process, ie high-ranking officials.
The national investigator is delegated to the Hague for one year, renewable for up to two years. According to Matuizienė, however, such probes are long and last for years, as the ICC investigates only the most serious and complex crimes.
The high-ranking officials could also only be convicted if they were tried physically in the Hague. This could only happen after the collapse of the Russian regime, the Lithuanian investigator stresses. They could also be detained in other countries, but it is unlikely that Russian leaders would risk leaving their state.
Lithuania was the first country to refer Russia and Belarus to the ICC for possible crimes in Ukraine after Russia launched a full-scale war in Ukraine on February 24. According to Matuizienė, Lithuania’s leadership showed the importance of this issue and encouraged other European countries to join in.
“There is also a joint investigation team. Upon an agreement between several countries, it is made up of a prosecutor and pre-trial investigation officers. It started working about a month after the start of the war in Ukraine, involving Ukrainian officials. This is the first time that the ICC has been involved in a joint investigation team,” the Lithuanian lawyer said.
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