"Italy strongly reiterates its support for Ukraine and its full support for the activity of the independent and autonomous International Criminal Court".
In his speech in London at the “International Conference of Ministers of Justice supporting the International Criminal Court and its work in Ukraine”, the Keeper of the Seals, Carlo Nordio, reiterates “the importance of Kiev ratifying the Statute of Rome, establishing the Court of The Hague: it would be - he added - a fundamental recognition of the role of the International Criminal Court”. Minister Nordio announced to his colleagues from 52 different invited countries the go-ahead by the Council of Ministers last Thursday of a first bill on the code of international crimes, which introduces the crime of aggression, broadens the spectrum on war crimes and extends criminal jurisdiction universally. “Code – explained the minister – it will also give our prosecutors and law enforcement agencies even more tools to improve assistance to the International Criminal Court in investigating crimes committed in Ukraine. The Rome Statute recalls "the duty of every State to exercise criminal jurisdiction over those responsible for international crimes", thus establishing the principle of complementarity of the Court with respect to national courts".
The Keeper of the Seals drew up a balance sheet on the financial support that Italy has always guaranteed to the Court in The Hague, on the freezing of the assets of the Russian oligarchs and renewed his willingness to second national experts to the Prosecutor's Office.
Finally, Minister Nordio recalled the great Italian experience in the protection of victims and witnesses, as in the collection of testimonies of minors and renewed the willingness to the entire International Criminal Court and the Ukrainian authorities to help train magistrates and police forces 'order.