Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino said an additional group of RCMP officers sent to help the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigate possible war crimes by Russia would be deployed “as soon as possible.”
Mendicino told CTV News Channel’s Power Play host Evan Solomon that his members are part of a very “special” team that will be tasked with holding Russia to account for its illegal invasion of Ukraine.
“This will be a dedicated team of experts who understand how to gather evidence that can be compiled into future prosecutions that can be brought before the International Criminal Court… These people will be deployed as quickly as possible,” he said on Tuesday.
Mendicino made the announcement about Canada’s contribution to the ongoing ICC investigation, following a request from the ICC prosecutor’s office, earlier in the day.
“In the face of this flagrant violation by Putin and the Russian military of international law, Canada will continue to work to ensure that it is held accountable for their illegal actions,” read a statement.
“Canadian investigators will be assigned to teams working to end impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community – including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
The RCMP currently has three investigators stationed at the ICC. The contingent will increase to 10 with Tuesday’s announcement.
Check out Mendicino’s interview at the top of this article.
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