How War Crimes and the Crime of Aggression Are Being Pursued Against Russia

Usually, it’s only after fighting ends that prosecutions begin for breaking the rules of war. Ukraine isn’t waiting. It began putting captured Russian soldiers on trial in May. But what about the political and military leaders higher up the chain of command? An international tribunal is investigating war crimes and other potential atrocities in Ukraine, and now the European Union has proposed creating a special new court to consider whether Russia has committed the so-called crime of aggression against its neighbor. However, it’s far from certain that senior Russian leaders will be brought to justice under international law.

1. What are war crimes?

They are violations of the rules of warfare as set out in various treaties, notably the Geneva Conventions, a series of agreements concluded between 1864 and 1949. War crimes include willful killing, torture, rape, using starvation as a weapon, shooting combatants who have surrendered, deploying banned weapons such as chemical and…

This story appeared first on washingtonpost.com, 2022-12-06.