By YUICHI NOBIRA/ Staff Writer
March 10, 2022 at 16:26 JST
The Foreign Ministry (Yuichi Nobira)
Japan has joined the growing chorus of countries that have referred the Russian invasion of Ukraine to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, the Foreign Ministry announced on March 9.
That brings the total number of ICC member states urging the court to investigate alleged war crimes committed by Russia to 41, including Britain.
The Foreign Ministry called the invasion “an attempt to unilaterally change the status quo by force,” which “shakes the foundations of the international order.” It said Japan strongly denounces Russia’s actions because they are “clear violation(s) of international law and totally unacceptable.”
The ministry added that Japan referred the ongoing crisis in Ukraine to the ICC to express “clear support” for the investigation by the court.
In a statement issued on March 2, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan said the court opened an investigation into allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide over the situation in Ukraine dating back to 2013. That means the investigation will also cover Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.
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