By Canadian Press

Federal ministers cite need for international war crimes probe of Russia

Mar 31, 2022 | 12:56 PM

OTTAWA — Canada’s international development minister says Russia’s blocking of humanitarian aid to Ukraine and its bombing of medical facilities should be the subjects of an international war crimes investigation.

Harjit Sajjan is offering that view as a half dozen extra RCMP investigators are bound for The Hague this week to assist in the International Criminal Court investigation of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity by Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.

Sajjan says civilians should be not be harmed in armed conflict, especially when they are seeking medical aid and food.

Sajjan was speaking ahead of the International Committee of the Red Cross announcing Thursday that it would be ready to start evacuating citizens out of the besieged port city of Mariupol on Friday.

Sajjan says carving out the corridors needed to get humanitarian supplies into Ukraine has been a difficult undertaking, as an estimated 10 million Ukrainians have been forced from their homes.

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Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino tells The Canadian Press those displaced Ukrainians will become “living witnesses” as the additional RCMP officers join the investigation by the prosecutor’s office of the ICC.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 31, 2022.

The Canadian Press