Romanian military prosecution to look into Russian crimes against humanity in Ukraine
The Prosecutor's Office attached to Romania's High Court of Cassation and Justice began an ex officio investigation into crimes against humanity, possibly involving Romanian citizens, that occurred as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“According to existing public information, the military attack is widespread and systematic, being directed against both military and civilian targets, resulting in the bombing of schools, hospitals, shopping malls, directly affecting the civilian population in Ukraine,” adds a press release cited by Digi24. Russian attacks killed civilians, including children, prosecutors say.
Millions of civilians have left Ukraine as a result of Russia’s attack and the subsequent psychological trauma that it caused. The investigation will look into the impact of the war on Ukrainians who also have Romanian citizenship. The competence for such an inquiry falls on the Military Prosecutor's Office.
Romanian criminal law also applies to crimes committed outside the territory of the country by a foreign citizen against a Romanian citizen. Jurisdiction is exercised by the Romanian criminal investigation bodies.
According to Romanian law, it is a crime against humanity to commit, in a generalized or systematic attack, launched against a civilian population, one of the following acts: the killing of persons; injury to the physical or mental integrity of certain persons; deportation or forced transfer of people; torture of persons; rape or sexual assault; deprivation of liberty; acts that cause great suffering.
Romanian prosecutors will ask Ukrainian magistrates for information on the investigations opened there. There are over 20,000 war crimes investigations in Ukraine, coordinated by the Ukrainian Prosecutor's Office.
(Photo source: Octav Ganea/Inquam Photos)
