Ukraine urges Interpol to pursue russian war criminals

In May 2024, the General Secretariat of Interpol declared that a special mechanism designed to deal with cases of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes could not be applied to Ukraine’s request. As a result, since June last year, Ukraine has launched a campaign to challenge this decision.

This issue was discussed during a briefing at the Media Center Ukraine.

According to Vitalii Kasap, head of the International Police Cooperation Department of the National Police of Ukraine, Interpol’s special mechanism cannot be used at present due to certain reservations expressed by the General Secretariat in connection with the ongoing war.

“It [this mechanism] cannot be used in response to our requests due to certain reservations they have regarding the situation of an ongoing armed conflict. Since we as a country are a direct party to this conflict, Interpol conducted a comprehensive and mutual assessment and concluded that the use of this mechanism could be detrimental to the interests of Interpol and its member states,” he explained.

However, after receiving the refusal, Ukraine has been actively seeking a review of this position and advocating for further study and reconsideration of the matter. It is now hoped that the General Secretariat of Interpol will soon take decisions that will satisfy Ukraine’s request.

Read more: https://mediacenter.org.ua/news