Prosecutor general stresses investigation of Russian war crimes in 2008 war in Georgia at int’l prosecutors conference

Prosecutor general of Georgia Irakli Shotadze on Monday told the conference of the International Association of Prosecutors it was “especially important” for Georgian authorities to investigate war crimes committed by Russia during the 2008 war between the two countries.

In his address to the 27th annual conference - hosted in Tbilisi for the first time - Shotadze noted investigation of crimes committed by Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, and related challenges, would be an “important issue” at the conference. 

Everyone knows that it is especially important for us to investigate war crimes committed by Russia during the 2008 Georgia-Russia war, especially since one of the speakers at the session [of the conference] is the prosecutor's office of the international criminal court in the Hague”, Shotadze said.

Shotadze stressed the war waged by Russia in Ukraine had given “particular importance” to, and had raised the need for, “effective investigation and prosecution” of war crimes.

In this regard, I would like to wish special success to the prosecutor's office of the international criminal court in the Hague, Eurojust. The whole world is waiting for the results of the investigation”, he concluded.

The event brings together 300 prosecutors from 60 countries and representatives of the United Nations, European Union, Council of Europe, United States department of justice and high-level experts in the field of criminal justice, with the event hosted in Tbilisi for the first time. The conference is organised by the International Association of Prosecutors, which involves 183 prosecution bodies from 177 countries as members.