Seeking Asylum in the Netherlands, Former Russian Soldier Wants to Testify at the ICC Regarding War Crimes He Witnessed in Ukraine

The discovery of a mass grave in Izium, Ukraine. (Wikimedia Commons/armyinform.com.ua)

JAKARTA - A former Russian soldier wants to testify at the International Criminal Court (ICC) about Russian war crimes he witnessed while fighting in Ukraine, with him also seeking asylum in the Netherlands, a Dutch legal source said.

The man, identified in Dutch media as Igor Salikov, 60, said he had been a member of the forces of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic in eastern Ukraine since 2014, and had worked as an instructor for the Wagner mercenary group in Ukraine.

Reuters could not independently verify its position on either the pro-Russian separatists or the Wagner group.

Ukrainian war crimes prosecutor Yurii Belousov told Reuters that Salikov had been in contact with Ukrainian prosecutors for more than six months and provided testimony.

"He gave important testimony, some of which has been confirmed, regarding the invasion on February 24, 2022. He reported several war crimes, which we are investigating, and some of which have been confirmed," Belousov told Reuters via text message, as quoted on December 20.

Since the outbreak of the war, Russia has emphatically denied committing atrocities or targeting civilians in Ukraine.

Salikov further told Dutch television program EenVandaag in an interview broadcast on Monday that he was ready to cooperate fully with the ICC and had personally witnessed "atrocities against civilians".

Meanwhile, the ICC Prosecutor's Office on Tuesday confirmed it had received information from Salikov, but added it could not provide further information.

"In line with the confidentiality of its activities, the office cannot confirm or deny whether anyone is involved as a potential witness or in another capacity," a spokesperson said via text message.

It is known that the court located in the city of The Hague, Netherlands is currently conducting an investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine.

In March, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and children's ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova, on war crimes charges related to the kidnapping of Ukrainian children. The Kremlin rejected the accusations.

Separately, human rights group Gulagu.net in a post on Telegram said Salikov had not been received by the ICC after his arrival in the Netherlands on Monday, because its prosecutors and judges were not yet ready to question him.

"They didn't expect it," the group said.