Former UK Prime Minister Bloomberg Op-Ed: "International Community Must Strive to Prosecute Putin as War Criminal"

Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown (right) and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair [Photo by EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged the international community on the 10th (local time) in a Bloomberg op-ed to make efforts to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin to a war crimes trial.

The International Criminal Court (ICC), the only permanent international tribunal dealing with war crimes trials, began investigating war crimes in Ukraine on the 3rd. Established in 2003 as a permanent international tribunal to punish those who commit serious international crimes, the ICC has jurisdiction over crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and crimes of aggression.

However, Russia withdrew from the ICC in 2016 and does not recognize its jurisdiction. After the ICC announced it would begin investigating war crimes allegations related to the 2008 conflict between Russia and Georgia, Putin signed a presidential decree withdrawing from the Rome Statute of the ICC. The ICC can punish crimes committed on the territory of member states or by nationals of member states. As a result, there are criticisms that the ICC investigation lacks effectiveness.

Nevertheless, former Prime Minister Brown argued that efforts to bring Putin and his accomplices to justice as war criminals alone can empower the Ukrainian people and unsettle Putin’s collaborators. Brown stated that Putin and his aides have committed serious acts of aggression in Ukraine and that the international community should prosecute them and establish a special tribunal to address their crimes.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba appealed to the international community on the 4th to bring Putin to justice based on principles announced by the Allied forces in 1942 during World War II. The Allies gathered in London in 1942 and promulgated a law called "Punishment for War Crimes." After World War II ended, the Nuremberg Trials were held until 1948 to prosecute Nazi German war criminals. Foreign Minister Kuleba argued that just as the Allies prosecuted Nazi war criminals 80 years ago, Putin should also be brought to justice for crimes that violate peace.

Former Prime Minister Brown acknowledged that it is currently not possible to prosecute the aggressor as was done with the International Military Tribunal that led to the Nuremberg Trials. However, based on the spirit of the 1942 agreement, he stated that he and more than 100 current and former European leaders and international legal experts are urging the United States to support the establishment of a special court to prosecute war criminals. He explained that special tribunals were established in 1993 and 1994 during President Bill Clinton’s administration to address war crimes in Yugoslavia and Rwanda.

Brown explained that such a tribunal would be important to boost the morale of the Ukrainian people, who are surrounded by Russia but showing remarkable resistance. He emphasized that the spirit of the Ukrainians inspires the world, and in return, we must provide solid support to ensure Ukrainians can stand up, not just in words but in action.

He also stated that the move to establish a tribunal could serve as a warning to Putin and his accomplices that committing brutal crimes will not allow them to escape legal judgment and punishment. While this may not apply to Putin himself, it could instill fear in his collaborators, who, like Nazi criminals, might cooperate with the forces of justice.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.