Russia wants ICC to examine NATO bombings

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MOSCOW, May 18 (UPI) -- The International Criminal Court should look into all cases of NATO airstrikes in Libya that resulted in civilian deaths, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"We welcome the decision of ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo to consider alleged violations of international humanitarian law," Foreign Ministry human rights spokesman Konstantin Dolgov said in a statement posted on the ministry's Web site. "We presume that the ICC will consider all cases of NATO bombing that caused civilian casualties."

The issue of civilian casualties during the NATO Libyan campaign last year had been raised at the U.N. Security Council and the U.N. Council on Human Rights, RIA Novosti reported Friday.

"An impartial international investigation into the effects of NATO airstrikes during Operation United Defender in Libya is necessary to prevent such tragedies in the future," the statement said.

NATO carried out airstrikes last year under a U.N. resolution passed to protect Libyan civilians from the retaliation by the regime of Moammar Gadhafi to pro-democracy protests. Gadhafi died during a firefight in October.