International Criminal Court Prosecutor Seeks Arrest Of Three Linked To 2008 Russia-Georgia War

March 10, 2022

By RFE/RL

The top prosecutor with the International Criminal Court has asked for the arrests of three South Ossetian officials he said may have committed war crimes during the 2008 Russia-Georgia War.

Karim Khan, the court’s main prosecutor, said in a statement on March 10 he had asked judges to approve the warrants.

"My application for these warrants of arrest focuses specifically on unlawful confinement, ill-treatment, hostage taking, and subsequent unlawful transfer of ethnic Georgian civilians in the context of an occupation by the Russian Federation," Khan said in a statement.

The brief 2008 war resulted in Russia invading Georgia, and essentially carving out South Ossetia and another region, Abkhazia, from control of the government in Tbilisi.

Russia later said it considered the two regions independent states -- a declaration unrecognized virtually anywhere in the world.

Even if the court's judges approve the arrest warrants, it's unclear how they would be put into effect, and by whom.

Georgia is a member of The Hague court. However, Russia, which is not, has de facto control over South Ossetia, and is unlikely to turn the individuals over to the court.

 https://www.rferl.org/a/icc-war-crimes-ossetia/31747058.html