A heated debate has ignited among experts and the families of two aid workers who died in Ukraine. The New Zealand government has announced that it will not be pursuing an investigation into the deaths of the aid workers, one of whom was a New Zealand national. The incident took place in Ukraine’s Soledar region a year ago and some believe it may constitute a war crime. The parents of one of the deceased have been vocal in pressing for New Zealand and the UK to dispatch their own investigators to Kyiv.
The Bagshaws, the parents of one of the deceased, have pointed out that the evidence suggests that the men were shot by the Wagner Group, a private military company under Russian state control. They argue that the fact the Group’s Telegram channel posted pictures of both men’s passports just days after their deaths is a compelling piece of evidence. However, the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Affairs has stated that while they condemned the killings, they will not be conducting further investigations.
Two experts, Professor of International Relations, Robert Patman, and Dr. Marnie Lloyd, have both urged New Zealand and the UK to take action. Robert Patman has suggested that New Zealand and the UK could collaborate in investigating the matter in order to demonstrate their commitment to upholding the rule of law, particularly in the face of war. Dr. Marnie Lloyd has emphasized the importance of international humanitarian law and stressed that countries should facilitate war crimes investigations, even when they did not happen on their own territory.
While investigators from several European countries have gone to Ukraine to assist with the work of the International Criminal Court, support from New Zealand and the UK has been limited to funding prosecutions. The Ukrainian prosecutor’s office has been investigating a significant number of allegations of war crimes committed by Russia, with the number of cases steadily increasing as the conflict persists.