Yugoslavia experience shows international justice is inevitable – Le Monde journalist

Skepticism toward international justice during wartime is common, but the experience of Yugoslavia shows that the sense of impunity eventually fades. All the more so in Ukraine, where the idea of justice and accountability for war crimes is already seen as a necessary condition for future peace.

Le Monde's special correspondent, Remy Ourdan, shared these views in a comment to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"I was working in Sarajevo, besieged by Milosevic's forces, more than 30 years ago, and I remember very well May 1993, when the UN Security Council announced the creation of the first International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. On that day, it must be said, the creation of the Tribunal provoked nothing but smiles among many people. Journalists, observers, and even some diplomats laughed at the idea," he said.

According to him, Milosevic's forces continued to commit their crimes, and even the victims did not believe that impunity could come to an end.

"This also provoked bitter laughter among the victims. But five years later, when the jurisdiction of that same tribunal was confirmed for crimes in Kosovo, people were already greeting us and asking whether we were investigators, so they could tell us about the killings, mass graves, and provide evidence. In other words, within five years, the idea of inevitable justice had taken root in people's minds. The killers were thinking about it too, which is why they quickly tried to conceal their crimes," Ourdan said.

He noted that numerous mass graves were discovered in Kosovo, not primary ones but reburied sites, which indicated an attempt to quickly cover up evidence and avoid punishment.

"Obviously, over these 32 years we have completely changed the paradigm. When I came to Ukraine, even before the full-scale invasion, and since then have been returning regularly, I was struck by how deeply the idea of justice is already rooted here. Perhaps Ukrainians are unique, because you do not expect someone to come and help you. No one is waiting for investigators or for institutions to appear. From day one, you yourselves began documenting, collecting evidence, and demanding justice," he said.

Ourdan believes that Russia will not agree to any court proceedings and will create enormous obstacles. However, even if it is difficult today to imagine in what exact format justice will be delivered, history shows that punishment is inevitable.

"Indeed, within the current diplomatic framework and present reality, it is hard to imagine what future justice might look like. A tribunal is possible. But there are also other paths: domestic justice, courts exercising universal jurisdiction. And I am convinced that new, creative solutions will also be devised in other parts of the world to ensure that justice is ultimately done," he said.