Press Releases
Referral of the Situation in Ukraine to the International Criminal Court
March 9, 2022
- On March 9, Japan referred the Situation in Ukraine to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, the Netherlands.
- The military actions by Russia in Ukraine this time are an attempt to unilaterally change the status quo by force and constitute an act that shakes the foundations of the international order. They are clear violation of international law and totally unacceptable. Japan strongly condemns these actions.
- Considering the United Nations General Assembly Resolution of March 2, the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting Statement of March 4 and the ever growing concern over war crimes, Japan referred the Situation in Ukraine to the International Criminal Court from the view point of expressing clear support for the investigation of the International Criminal Court.
(Reference)International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is the permanent criminal judicial body that prosecutes and punishes persons who commit the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole in accordance with international law. The Court is located in The Hague, the Netherlands. The founding treaty is the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which was adopted in 1998 and entered into force in 2002. The Rome Statute entered into force for Japan on October 1, 2007.