Can Putin be prosecuted for war crimes?
The Inquiry
BBC
4.6 • 1.7K Ratings
🗓️ 31 March 2022
⏱️ 24 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On Wednesday 23 March the US administration declared that Russian troops had committed war crimes in Ukraine. It claims to have evidence showing numerous deliberate attacks on civilians. An unprecedented number of countries have backed an investigation by the International Criminal Court into the allegations. The evidence is being gathered.
Tanya Beckett explores whether it’s possible that Vladimir Putin will be held responsible and face trial for war crimes committed by his forces during this war.
Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Researcher: Chris Blake
(Banner reads 'Wanted Dead Or Alive Vladimir Putin For Genocide' in Przemysl, Poland. 5 March 2022. Credit: Beata Zawrzel /Getty Images)
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the inquiry. I'm Tanya Beckett, each week one question for expert witnesses and an answer. |
| 0:20.0 | On Wednesday, the 23rd of March, the US administration claimed that Russian troops were committing war crimes in Ukraine. |
| 0:30.0 | It claimed to have evidence showing numerous deliberate attacks on civilians. |
| 0:35.0 | Among the incidences, President Biden cited attacks on the population of Ukraine's port city of Mariapol. |
| 0:43.0 | The single most important thing that we can do from the outset is keep the democracies united in our opposition and our effort to curtail the devastation |
| 0:59.0 | that is occurring at the hands of a man who, quite frankly, think is a war criminal. |
| 1:05.0 | And I think it will meet the legal definition of that as well. |
| 1:09.0 | Dozens of countries have now requested that Russia be investigated by the International Criminal Court. |
| 1:16.0 | This week, on the inquiry, we're asking, can Putin be prosecuted for war crimes in Ukraine? |
| 1:26.0 | Part one, humanity on the battlefield. |
| 1:36.0 | In 1862, a book was published that touched the conscience of the world. |
| 1:42.0 | It was entitled A Memory of Sulphurino, and written by Swiss humanitarian Henry Dunon. |
| 1:51.0 | It told of the unspeakable suffering of wounded soldiers on the battlefields of Italy. |
| 1:58.0 | Klaus Rackwitz, I'm the Director of the International November Principles Academy in Nuremberg, Germany. |
| 2:06.0 | Just a year after the book was published in Switzerland, 12 European nations signed a wartime humanitarian agreement. |
| 2:15.0 | It was the first real attempt to limit the savagery of war and became known as the first Geneva Convention. |
| 2:24.0 | It prohibits or aims to prohibit any inhumane or cruel treatment. |
| 2:29.0 | No, you can't just leave a wounded soldier on the battlefield because he's from attacking all the enemies, troops. |
| 2:37.0 | You need to feed your prisoners of war. You can't let them starve to death. |
| 2:41.0 | You can't torture people in order to extract information, mainly for prisoners of war. |
| 2:47.0 | For instance, you're not allowed to attack facilities like hospitals or other installations to protect and to actually support wounded soldiers. |
| 2:58.0 | These things were regulated there. |
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