Russia and President Vladimir Putin’s acts of war in Ukraine are crime in violation of international law, explains legal expert Sofie Høgestøl. Putin can get the same sentence as the Nazis after World War II, writes Dagbladet.
– Putin should be punished for what he does now, Sofie Høgestøl writes on Twitter .
She is an associate professor of law at the University of Oslo and a researcher in international criminal law. In addition, she is a deputy representative of the Liberal Party in the Storting.
Høgestøl explains to Dagbladet that what Putin and Russia can now fall under the category of “war of aggression”, which according to the Rome Statutes of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, is a crime individuals can be punished for.
There is only a small category of treaty violations that are so serious that they can be categorized as a crime. There are war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and wars of aggression.
– War of aggression is the crime that starts the war, says Høgestøl, and continues:
– A state shall not use military force other than in self-defense. It has been a recognized principle for a long time. This is what the Nazis were put on trial for after World War II. For wars of aggression, against Norway and others. Today, this has recently become a crime that can be punished by the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
In the Rome Statute, an invasion with military forces of another country’s territories is a crime of aggression, a war of aggression. It is then punishable.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine is affiliated with the International Criminal Court, but Ukraine can still request such investigations. And Russia can in theory still be punished.
If the court, through its investigation, concludes that a crime has taken place, the court is free to prosecute individuals.
– Then they go after leaders, those who are most responsible. Putin, as president and dictator, will be the most natural responsible. He can therefore be charged with war of aggression, write she.
