Let us bring the Russians guilty of crimes in Ukraine to account

In its Order of 16 March 2022, the International Court of Justice indicated interim/conservative measures, whereby it imposed an obligation on the Russian Federation to immediately suspend military operations and to ensure that no steps are taken to continue any military action in Ukraine.

As we all know, Russia has not stopped its armed aggression, and since the International Court of Justice issued the order on interim measures, mass graves of victims of the Russian aggression have been unearthed in the territories of Ukraine recovered following its counteroffensive. This evidence substantiates a claim that Russia is responsible for crimes against the civilian population that fulfil the elements of core international crimes. However, to demand that Russia is brought to international justice before the International Court of Justice is not enough, as any judgement the Court may issue will not have individual effects on the perpetrators of the crimes. If the perpetrators are not effectively punished, Russia may commit an act of aggression against other sovereign states, being aware of complete impunity. Moreover, other states pursuing their particular interests by force may also reach similar conclusions about impunity.