Russia has vigorously denied committing atrocities or focusing on civilians in Ukraine (File)
The Hague:
A former Russian soldier has sought asylum within the Netherlands and desires to testify on the Worldwide Legal Courtroom about conflict crimes by Russia that he witnessed whereas preventing in Ukraine, a Dutch authorized supply instructed Reuters on Tuesday.
The person, who recognized himself in Dutch media as 60-year-old Igor Salikov, stated he had been a member of the Russian-backed forces of the self-proclaimed Donetsk Folks’s Republic in japanese Ukraine since 2014, and had labored as an teacher for the Wagner mercenary group in Ukraine.
Reuters couldn’t independently confirm his place in both the pro-Russian separatist forces or the Wagner group.
Ukraine’s high conflict crimes prosecutor Yurii Belousov instructed Reuters that Salikov had already been in contact with Ukrainian prosecutors for greater than six months and given testimony.
“He gave essential testimony, a few of which has already been confirmed, in regards to the invasion of February 24, 2022. He reported some conflict crimes, which we’re investigating, and a few have already been confirmed,” Belousov instructed Reuters in a textual content message.
Russia has vigorously denied committing atrocities or focusing on civilians in Ukraine.
Salikov instructed Dutch tv program EenVandaag in an interview broadcast on Monday that he was prepared to completely cooperate with the Worldwide Legal Courtand had personally witnessed “cruelties towards civilians”.
The Worldwide Legal Courtroom wouldn’t instantly touch upon the experiences. The court docket within the Dutch metropolis of The Hague has an ongoing investigation into alleged conflict crimes and crimes towards humanity dedicated in Ukraine.
In March, the Worldwide Legal Courtissued warrants for the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin and kids’s ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova over conflict crimes prices associated to the kidnapping of Ukrainian youngsters. The Kremlin rejected these allegations.
Human rights group Gulagu.internet in a submit on Telegram stated Salikov was not acquired by the Worldwide Legal Courtroom after his arrival within the Netherlands on Monday, as its prosecutor and judges weren’t prepared for an interrogation
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
