Ukraine war: Putin should face trial this year, says top lawyer

Russian President Vladimir Putin should spell connected proceedings successful Ukraine this twelvemonth for warfare crimes committed there, says the antheral who led the prosecution of erstwhile Serbian person Slobodan Milosevic.

Sir Geoffrey Nice told the BBC Mr Putin was a "guilty man" for attacks connected civilian targets during the war.

The British barrister expressed his astonishment that prosecutors and politicians were not "spelling this retired overmuch much freely and openly".

Russia denies committing warfare crimes.

But, speaking to Radio 4's Broadcasting House programme, Sir Geoffrey described Moscow's actions during the penetration arsenic "crimes against humanity" - arsenic civilian targets were being attacked.

These laws prohibition attacks connected civilians - oregon infrastructure captious to their endurance - and are acceptable retired successful planetary treaties specified arsenic the Geneva Conventions.

For example, Russia's repetition attacks connected the Ukrainian vigor grid implicit the wintertime have been described arsenic warfare crimes due to the fact that of the harm done to civilians. Russia insists it is hitting subject targets only.

Moscow's troops person been accused by the planetary assemblage of thousands of abuses since their full-scale penetration of the neighbouring state past February.

The prosecutor-general successful Kyiv says much than 62,000 warfare crimes person truthful acold been recorded, including the deaths of much than 450 children. The BBC has not been capable to verify these figures.

Sir Geoffrey worked with International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) betwixt 1998 and 2006.

He led the lawsuit against erstwhile Serbian person Slobodan Milosevic, who went connected proceedings successful The Hague successful 2002 for warfare crimes committed successful Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo.

Mr Milosevic - erstwhile known arsenic the "butcher of the Balkans" - died successful situation earlier the proceedings concluded.

Commenting connected the warfare successful Ukraine, Sir Geoffrey said the lawsuit "couldn't beryllium clearer" against Mr Putin, and determination was "no doubt" of a concatenation of bid starring to the antheral successful the Kremlin.

This meant the "most important thing" was to effort the Russian person himself, alternatively than low-ranking soldiers, helium told Broadcasting House.

He added that immoderate proceedings "could beryllium time morning, arsenic acold arsenic I'm concerned" and should beryllium held by Ukrainians successful the Ukrainian language. Mr Putin himself would not request to beryllium present, helium said.

Sir Geoffrey speculated implicit a imaginable crushed wherefore the Russian person had not faced tougher enactment truthful acold - suggesting determination could beryllium a determination to exempt him from prosecution arsenic portion of a bid deal.

He said the International Criminal Court (ICC) - which has jurisdiction implicit Ukraine - "has inactive not made a pronouncement astir Putin's work for this crime".

Sir Geoffrey said this "reluctance" raised the question of whether determination was immoderate benignant of "political advantage" to not indicting the president.

But helium said the thought of immoderate bid colony that prevented a proceedings of Mr Putin was an "appalling prospect" which would beryllium "a implicit denial of justness to the radical of Ukraine".

In response, the ICC rejected immoderate assertion of "pressure oregon influence" connected the prosecutor, Karim Khan, to hold immoderate investigations.

Mr Khan had "gone connected grounds repeatedly... to show that accountability is an imperative that indispensable beryllium achieved", an ICC connection said.

It added that the authoritative had been moving connected the crushed successful Ukraine to cod grounds of warfare crimes - and apprehension warrants would beryllium issued erstwhile capable impervious had been gathered.