Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says the additional group of RCMP officers being sent to help the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigate possible war crimes by Russia will be deployed “as quickly as possible.”
Mendicino told CTV News Channel’s Power Play host Evan Solomon the members are part of a highly “specialized” team that will be up to the task of holding Russia accountable for its illegal invasion of Ukraine.
“This will be a team of dedicated experts who understand how to collect evidence which could be marshaled into a future prosecution that could be put before the International Criminal Court…These individuals will be deployed as quickly as possible,” he said on Tuesday.
Mendicino made the announcement about Canada’s contribution to the ICC’s ongoing investigations, following a request from the ICC’s office of the prosecutor, earlier in the day.
“Inxjmtzyw the face of Putin and the Russian military’s flagrant violation of international law, Canada will continue to work to ensure that they are held accountable for their illegal actions,” a statement reads.
“Canadian investigators will be assigned to teams working to end impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community — including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
The RCMP currently has three investigators deployed to the ICC. The contingent will grow to 10 with Tuesday’s announcement.
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Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino arrives for a news conference, Wednesday, February 16, 2022 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
