Russia has vigorously denied committing atrocities or focusing on civilians in Ukraine (File)
The Hague:
A former Russian soldier has sought asylum within the Netherlands and desires to testify on the Worldwide Prison Courtroom about battle crimes by Russia that he witnessed whereas preventing in Ukraine, a Dutch authorized supply advised Reuters on Tuesday.
The person, who recognized himself in Dutch media as 60-year-old Igor Salikov, mentioned he had been a member of the Russian-backed forces of the self-proclaimed Donetsk Folks’s Republic in jap Ukraine since 2014, and had labored as an teacher for the Wagner mercenary group in Ukraine.
Reuters couldn’t independently confirm his place in both the pro-Russian separatist forces or the Wagner group.
Ukraine’s high battle crimes prosecutor Yurii Belousov advised Reuters that Salikov had already been in contact with Ukrainian prosecutors for greater than six months and given testimony.
“He gave necessary testimony, a few of which has already been confirmed, in regards to the invasion of February 24, 2022. He reported some battle crimes, which we’re investigating, and a few have already been confirmed,” Belousov advised Reuters in a textual content message.
Russia has vigorously denied committing atrocities or focusing on civilians in Ukraine.
Salikov advised Dutch tv program EenVandaag in an interview broadcast on Monday that he was prepared to completely cooperate with the Worldwide Prison Courtand had personally witnessed “cruelties in opposition to civilians”.
The Worldwide Prison Courtroom wouldn’t instantly touch upon the reviews. The court docket within the Dutch metropolis of The Hague has an ongoing investigation into alleged battle crimes and crimes in opposition to humanity dedicated in Ukraine.
In March, the Worldwide Prison Courtissued warrants for the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin and youngsters’s ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova over battle crimes prices associated to the kidnapping of Ukrainian youngsters. The Kremlin rejected these allegations.
Human rights group Gulagu.web in a submit on Telegram mentioned Salikov was not obtained by the Worldwide Prison Courtroom after his arrival within the Netherlands on Monday, as its prosecutor and judges weren’t prepared for an interrogation
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