War Crimes in Ukraine

Part of 2. Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution – in the Senedd at 2:23 pm on 4 May 2022.

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Photo of Mick Antoniw Mick Antoniw Labour 2:23, 4 May 2022

Well, thank you for that supplementary question, and it is in many ways quite appalling, isn't it, that we are actually in a world where we are discussing the issue of war crimes and the prosecution of the culprits. Can I thank the Member? Of course, you raised the issue of war crimes and Putin in your emergency question on 1 March.

We have quite a number of individuals who have arrived from Ukraine, who have witnessed some of the most appalling atrocities that have taken place in living memory. The war crimes team, with the Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism command, will be assisting the investigation into war crimes, and are directly engaged with the International Criminal Court. Any evidence of such crimes is obviously there to be reported to the war crimes team in the Metropolitan Police.

Now, I have discussed this matter with the Minister for Social Justice and, indeed, the First Minister, on our approach to that. I'm very conscious that people arriving in Wales from Ukraine need to be made aware of the opportunity to bring forward evidence that may be directly relevant to war crimes that they may have experienced. I've asked officials to consider how this can be done practically at welcome centres, and through those arriving under the family and the individual Homes for Ukraine scheme. We must appreciate that, of course, some of these people have been traumatised and that the approach of this issue is something that has to be handled very sensitively.

On the broader issue of war crimes, well, of course, under the International Criminal Court investigation, any prosecutions would normally be brought by the Ukrainian Government. In the discussions that we've had, we've given full support to the United Kingdom being part of an international effort to provide the support, the resources and the assistance that's necessary to enable those. The war crimes issue must not be something that can be bartered away by discussions over sanctions, and have to be pursued no matter how long they take, and of course are key issues, ultimately, in the opening of the door to reparations being paid to Ukraine for the consequence of Russian actions.