Vladimir Putin has been branded a war criminal who should face trial at the Hague, by the SNP’s Ian Blackford.
The SNP Westminster leader called for the UK government to “prosecute Putin and his regime the full range of war crime charges need to be used including the crime of aggression by a state”.
At Prime Minister’s Questions Blackford listed the atrocities Russian forces carried out in Ukraine and called for Boris Johnson to change the UK’s War Crimes Act.
Johnson agreed with the SNP leader that Putin's' use of the munitions they have been dropping on innocent civilians, in my view already fully qualifies as a war crime.”
Blackford said: “With every passing hour the world is witnessing the horrors of Putin’s war in Ukraine… these are war crimes happening in Europe right now. Vladimir Putin is a war criminal and one day soon Putin must face justice in The Hague.”
“To prosecute Putin and his regime the full range of war crime charges need to be used including the crime of aggression by a state, but the UK’s always refused to sign up to the prosecution of this crime in international law.
“Surely with Putin’s crime of aggression in plain and horrific sight in Ukraine, now is the time to drop that opposition?”
Blackford called for the Prime Minister to amend the UK War Crimes Act and support the International Criminal Court prosecution of Putin “for his crimes of aggression against the people of Ukraine?”
Johnson replied: “What we have seen already from Vladimir Putin’s regime in the use of the munitions that they have already been dropping on innocent civilians, in my view, already fully qualifies as a war crime and I know that the ICC prosecutor is already investigating, and I am sure the whole House will support that.”
Blackford also repeated calls for the UK to waive all visa requirements for Ukrainian refugees.
He said: “The UK government stands alone in our continent in refusing to do the same.”
“Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s First Minister has made clear - our country stands ready to open our borders and our hearts to the people of Ukraine but the UK government must bring down their barriers.”
But the Prime Minister held the line that the relaxation of family visas and a sponsorship scheme was the best approach for the UK because of “security concerns” about people coming from a theatre of war.
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