Russia's environmental crimes should be dealt with by an international tribunal

This was reported by UAnimals on its social networks.

The activists believe that international law has major deficiencies regarding environmental crimes, while Russia is committing "ecocide" during the war in Ukraine. By blowing up the Kakhovska hydroelectric plant whole ecosystems have been destroyed, populations of rare animals have been exterminated and blackmail continues over the situation at the Zaporizhzhia plant.

The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court does not provide for the crime of 'ecocide' and the definition of crimes against the environment in wartime is very limited", say the activists.

The challenge posed to the world by Russian aggression should lead to a change in attitudes towards environmental crimes.

UAnimals has sent an official appeal to the UN Human Rights Council calling for the creation of a special international tribunal for environmental crimes committed by Russia during the war in Ukraine. For this to happen, the necessary legal mechanisms must be developed at the international level to allow for influence rather than a form of reprimand. An option for implementing the request could be to consider Russia's environmental crimes as part of a separate tribunal.

Activists are asking for information to be disseminated and for comments to be posted on the UN website with the hashtag #EcoTribunalForRussia