News item | 2023-03-20 | 14:04
Minister of Justice and Security Yesilgöz-Zegerius will today pledge extra support to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC started investigating war crimes committed during the war in Ukraine last year.
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In addition to the 2 million euros previously promised by the Netherlands, another 1 million euros will be added. Half a million euros to support victims and witnesses of, among other things, sexual and gender-related violence and violence against children, and half a million euros for the ICC fund that is used to deploy the capacity and knowledge of other countries.
In addition, Yeşilgöz-Zegerius will reiterate the earlier commitment that Dutch teams will also travel to Ukraine next year under the flag of the ICC for on-site forensic investigations. These teams consist of forensic, digital and tactical detectives from the Marechaussee, supplemented by experts from other defense units.
Today, together with the United Kingdom, the Netherlands is organizing an international conference in London at which justice ministers from more than 30 countries will discuss the prosecution of war crimes in Ukraine.
Yeşilgöz-Zegerius hopes for a successful conference:
“As an international community, we must take responsibility for ensuring that the perpetrators of the crimes committed during the war in Ukraine are prosecuted. Together we must ensure that evidence is secured, witnesses are heard, but also trauma support is provided to victims. The Ukrainian people have more than once shown how strong they are; hardened but never broken. They deserve our support in getting justice.”