For the first time, the German prosecutor's office investigated a war crime committed by Russian troops in Ukraine. It is about the shelling by the occupiers of Ukrainian civilians in Hostomel during the evacuation in the spring of 2022.
Germany identified war crime suspects in Ukraine
Federal Minister of Justice Marko Buschmann said that the suspects in the shooting and the responsible officers have already been identified.
The proceedings, which began in mid-July, concern the targeted shootings of fleeing civilians by members of the Russian armed forces.
If we catch a criminal, we will press charges. And if these people fall into the hands of Ukraine or another country with which we cooperate, we will provide evidence in such a way that charges can be successfully brought there, Bushmann said.
The Federal Prosecutor's Office interviewed witnesses of crimes who sought asylum in Germany.
German authorities launched an appeal in Ukrainian, Russian and English to persuade people to share their experiences with the police. There are also staff trained to interview traumatized people.
The first German war crime investigation deals with an incident in Hostomel, when Russian troops fired on and injured civilians, including a person with German citizenship.
The George Clooney Foundation has called on Germany to investigate war crimes
In October 2023, the George and Amal Clooney Foundation "For Justice" (Clooney Foundation for Justice) transferred three cases of crimes committed by the Russian occupiers in Odesa, Kharkiv and Kyiv regions to the German federal prosecutor's office.
The Foundation is asking German prosecutors to consider cases related to:
Rocket attack on a resort in the Odesa region, as a result of which 22 civilians were killed, and 40 more were seriously injured in the summer of 2022;
Torture and execution of four residents during the occupation of Kharkiv region from March to September 2022;
Executions, torture, sexual violence, looting and other crimes during the occupation of Kyiv region in March 2022.
