Greece to file complaint with ICC to probe Russia's alleged war crimes in Mariupol

As Russia continues to face massive backlash over alleged war crimes in Ukraine, various countries have chastised Moscow over its action and adopted taken steps against Kremlin. Greece, which expelled Russian diplomats on Wednesday, will request International Criminal Court (ICC) to probe into the alleged war crimes. The Foreign Minister of Greece, Nikos Dendias,  stated on Thursday that the country will ask the ICC to investigate the alleged war crimes in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which hosts a sizable Greek population, according to local media reports.

Mariupol, which is an industrial port city near the eastern separatist Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), claimed a pre-war population of roughly 400,000 people, however, ever since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, the city has been ravaged by constant shelling. The general staff of Ukraine's armed forces suggests that tens of thousands of civilians are trapped in the city.

Dendias stated that Greece has a special interest in Mariupol

While arriving in Brussels for a conference of NATO foreign ministers, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias stated that Greece has a special interest in Mariupol since there is a 100,000-strong Greek community in the city. Dendias also urged his colleagues to contribute their best to assist Ukraine in protecting the historic Black Sea port of Odesa, so the port city does not suffer the same fate as Mariupol. Last weekend, the Greek Foreign Minister visited Odesa.

The International Criminal Court's head prosecutor announced a month ago that the court had launched active investigations into alleged war crimes in Ukraine, which were backed by dozens of governments. Last month, after the Russian attack on a children's hospital in Mariupol, which killed three people and injured 17, the Prime Minister of Greece stated that his country was willing to assist Ukraine in the reconstruction of a maternity hospital in Mariupol that was attacked by Russian forces, according to Newsweek.

Greece expels 12 Russian diplomats stationed in country

On Wednesday, in response to the Ukraine war and the latest Bucha crimes, Greece expelled Russian ambassadors stationed in the country. The Greek Foreign Ministry said in a statement that 12 Russian diplomats had been asked to leave the country and had been deemed "personae non-gratae" under the Vienna Convention of 1961.