Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the debate entitled The Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine: ensuring accountability for serious violations of international humanitarian law and other international crimes, which took place at the Council of Europe on 28 April 2022.

We want to hold accountable those responsible for the atrocities that have been committed in Ukraine. The UK supports the International Criminal Court investigation into the situation in Ukraine, in its role as the primary international institution with the mandate to investigate and prosecute war crimes and other international crimes. The UK also welcomed the publication of the OSCE's Moscow Mechanism independent report, which found evidence of multiple instances of clear violations of international law by Russian forces in Ukraine, and supports the UN Human Rights Council Commission of Inquiry. We recognise the important work of the Council of Europe and in particular PACE in this sphere, including at the 14-15 March session where the UK Delegation played a pivotal role in ensuring Russia's expulsion from the organisation as a result of its invasion of Ukraine. We note that recommendations from PACE will go to the Committee of Ministers in due course for appropriate review.