Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly has accused Moscow of committing war crimes by killing civilians in Ukraine and is urging International Criminal Court (ICC) investigators to travel to the sites of alleged atrocities as soon as possible. But he did not deport Russian diplomats on Monday, as Germany, France and Lithuania did. Ms. Jolie spoke of the alleged killing of civilians by Russian soldiers in Ukrainian cities such as Butcha, where hundreds of locals were found dead in the aftermath of five weeks of Russian occupation. “These are clear war crimes. “These are clear crimes against humanity,” she told reporters during a news conference in Helsinki with her Finnish counterpart. “These acts cannot go unpunished.” As the horrors in Bukha cause global terror, some Ukrainian refugees are returning to their homes in the Kiev region, hoping the worst is over. Russia-Ukraine Live Updates: Canada Participates in Russian War Crimes Trials Also Monday, the House of Commons unanimously adopted a proposal for Bucha, declaring that “in the light of the horrific and horrific reports”, MPs “condemn in the strongest possible terms” crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by committed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. , the Russian army and the forces supported by Russia. The proposal, submitted by NDP foreign relations critic Heather McPherson, also calls on the federal government to provide further humanitarian, military and financial support to Ukraine and to impose sanctions “on the Russian regime and the oligarchs who support it.” Germany announced on Monday that it would deport 40 Russian diplomats with Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, citing the killing of civilians in Bucha. “The images of Buha show the unbelievable barbarity of the Russian leadership and those who follow its propaganda,” Bayerbok said in a statement. France has said it will deport 35 Russian diplomats for the war in Ukraine, and Lithuania has said it is expelling the Russian ambassador to Lithuania and recalling its envoy to Moscow. Asked about the deportations, Ms Jolie said she would “take stock” and talk to “key ministers” of the Canadian government “to make sure we do the right thing”. He said Canada would impose more sanctions on individuals and companies linked to Mr Putin’s circle and the war in Ukraine. Jolie said the Group of Seven industrialized nations needed to meet and better coordinate sanctions. He said he intended to impose new sanctions on the nine Russians and nine Belarusians who are “close associates of the Russian and Belarusian regimes” for “facilitating and allowing violations of Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence”. The Ministry of Global Affairs could not immediately provide the names of those targeted. NDP’s McPherson, for her part, called for Russia to be removed from the UN Human Rights Council. The United States said Monday it would ask the UN General Assembly to do so. A two-thirds majority in New York’s 193-member assembly can suspend a state for persistently committing blatant and systematic human rights abuses. The Commons resolution also called on the federal government to help ensure that Russia is held accountable for these crimes in the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice. Ottawa is sending a specialized team of RCMP investigators to the International Criminal Court in The Hague to gather information on possible Russian war crimes in Ukraine. The RCMP will also be tasked with interviewing Ukrainians who have come to Canada to testify about alleged war crimes committed by Russian forces, Public Security Minister Marco Metsino said last month. Ukrainian soldiers walk on a ruined street in Bucha on April 4. Anastasia Vlasova / Getty Images The ICC’s attorney general, British lawyer Karim Khan, said there was reason to believe war crimes against Ukrainian civilians had been committed since Russia invaded the country on February 24. Mr Khan announced on February 28 that he would investigate suspected atrocities in Ukraine at the request of 39 ICC member states, including Canada. It will look at possible war crimes on both sides of the conflict, as early as Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. The United States, Russia and Ukraine are not members of the tribunal. Mr Putin withdrew from the ICC in 2016 and said Moscow would not extradite any suspects. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has authorized the court to conduct an investigation into its territory and a team of ICC investigators is collecting data in Ukraine. The ICC began operating in 2002 and is based on the Nuremberg trials, when the United States and allied nations prosecuted top Nazi leaders in 1945 for war crimes. Reported by Reuters Our Morning and Afternoon newsletters are compiled by Globe editors, giving you a brief overview of the day’s most important headlines. Register today.
