The International Criminal Court (ICC) is launching an investigation into a military conflict in South Ossetia — a Russia-backed breakaway region — in 2008, a statement published on the court's website on Wednesday revealed.
"There is a reasonable basis to believe that crimes within the ICC's jurisdiction have been committed in Georgia. Such crimes include crimes against humanity, such as murder, forcible transfer of population and persecution, and war crimes, such as attacks against the civilian population, willful killing, intentionally directing attacks against peacekeepers, destruction of property and pillaging allegedly committed in the context of an international armed conflict between July 1 and Oct. 10, 2008," the statement read.
In 2008, Russia and Georgia fought a five-day war over its breakaway region of South Ossetia, which along with another breakaway region, Abkhazia, is now recognized by Russia and a handful of other states as an independent nation.
