The International Criminal Court said on Wednesday that its prosecutor planned to investigate possible crimes committed in the 2008 conflict between Russia and Georgia, bringing Moscow, an opponent of the court, into its sights for the first time.
Judges must now decide whether to permit the move, which would pit non-member Russia against the European-backed permanent global war crimes court at a time when East-West tensions run higher than at any time since the Cold War.
The Hague-based court is already considering whether to open an investigation into crimes committed in Ukraine, another West-leaning former Soviet republic which is fighting Moscow-backed separatists in its east.
In a statement on Thursday, the court said Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda had concluded there was a "reasonable basis to believe" crimes had been committed during the short war over the Russian-backed breakaway Georgian province of South Ossetia.
Her request comes as Russia seeks to become a more active global diplomatic and military player, launching air strikes in support of beleaguered Syrian President Bashar Assad, defying the broad Western consensus that he should go.
Any investigation would need to look at possible war crimes or crimes against humanity committed by both sides in the August 2008 clash, in which hundreds died and hundreds of thousands were displaced.
In 2009, rights group Human Rights Watch said it had found evidence of crimes being committed on all sides during the weeklong conflict, in which Moscow came to the aid of primarily Russian-speaking separatists.
Set up in 2002 to investigate the most serious international crimes, the court is now showing a readiness to tackle politically sensitive conflicts involving powerful actors after a decade in which it was criticized for being involved only in crimes committed in Africa.
This year, the court announced an examination of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, bringing one of the world's longest-running and most intractable conflicts into its sights.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
