Party of Regions group leader in the Ukraine's parliament Oleksandr Yefremov has demanded an International Criminal Court (ICC) inquiry into the June 2 air raid in Luhansk.
“The only way to find out the truth is to launch an inquiry by the International Criminal Court seated in The Hague into this war crime,” he said at the Verkhovna Rada sitting on Tuesday.
“If the situation is disregarded, it will look as if servicemen are allowed to continue bombing the civilian population,” Yefremov said.
The Party of Regions group has drawn up a parliament resolution recognizing the International Criminal Court jurisdiction consistent with item 3, article 12 of the Rome Statute for investigating the war crime committed against the civilian population of Luhansk on June 2.
The authorities have not started to investigate the Luhansk incident, Yefremov stressed.
“The media has cited contradictory and speculative theories. This may lead to impunity… Under these circumstances, the authorities and persons who gave the criminal order are not interested in holding an objective and fair investigation and the punishment of those who spilled the blood of innocents,” he said.
Meanwhile, Verkhovna Rada Chairman, interim President Oleksandr Turchynov said the sole purpose of the antiterrorism operation in eastern Ukraine was to protect the civilian population.
“We have no other goal. The fight in the Luhansk and Donetsk region is exclusively targeted against terrorists, and terrorists are being destroyed by the forces engaged in the antiterrorism operation,” the speaker said.
He asked Yefremov not to misinform the public and wondered why the deputy “did not say a word about militant attacks against the border guard base in the Luhansk region.”
