The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced Friday that it considers the investigation phase into alleged war crimes during the armed conflict between Georgia and Russia in 2008 to be completed.
«The investigation phase into the situation that took place in Georgia is terminated unless significant new circumstances come to light,» said ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan in a statement.
He noted that the Georgian authorities have been informed and noted that the Prosecutor’s Office «has no plans to conduct further investigations into the alleged criminal responsibility of third parties in relation to the situation in Georgia.»
However, he asserted that the work of the ICTY in Georgia «is far from over» and insisted that the Prosecutor’s Office «will bring to justice those persons against whom warrants have been issued» for the commission of war crimes.
Last June, the ICC ordered the arrest of three persons suspected of war crimes during the war on the grounds that there is «prima facie evidence» that they were involved in such acts.
The body indicated then that the alleged perpetrators are Mikhail Mindzaev, Gamlet Guchmazov and David Snakoev, while informing that «the arrest warrants are related to conduct during the armed conflict between Russia and Georgia in 2008».
The court opened an investigation into the conflict in 2016. Russia and Georgia fought a war in 2008 over control of the regions of North Ossetia and Abkhazia, which Moscow recognizes as independent despite the absence of recognition by the international community. Georgia continues to consider both regions as territories occupied by Russia.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
