This week came the news that ICC prosecutor to investigate possible war crimes in Ukraine. I wish we hadn’t gotten this far, I mean I wish the war hadn’t happened, but here we are.
Years ago I had the pleasure to visit the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. It was really a pleasure and a privilege as not everyone can visit the court. It is not open to the public like museums are. You can only visit if your application is approved.
There are two buildings, what you see above is the old one, this is the one I visited years ago, which is called the International Court of Justice. In 2015, the ICC moved to the new building, which is located at Oude Waalsdorperweg 10, 2597 AK, The Hague, the Netherlands.
There's a reservation process to go through before visiting. I had a plan before leaving to the Hague and when I got there, the first thing I did was to register. You had to pick a court date, send a copy of my passport, fill out a form with my address, phone number and so on and agree to respect the rules. Otherwise you could face criminal charges. This sounded scary and I wanted to make sure not to break the rules as I don't like trouble, especially not abroad.
Before I go on I have to tell you, one of the rules was NO TAKING PHOTOS!!! This hurt a lot but what can you do.
Do at the give date, I took the tram and showed up in time at the court. Security is taken seriously, so I was checked like at the airport. After passing the checking, there was someone accompanying us to the court room, where we were asked if we want headsets for translation. I said no as English was fine for me. Then the court session started.
The case was an old one and involved the violation of the international humanitarian law committed in the territory of the former Yugoslavia since 1991 and I remember the two countries represented there, Serbia and Montenegro. So we set down and listened. Obviously expectations were high and what we got was something else.
First of all there were like eight or ten judges. One of them started reading the document he had in his hand. Basically he mentioned a bunch of articles of different laws, a bunch of document numbers and so on. So I am honestly admitting I had no clue what he was talking about, but understanding the case wasn't why I went there.
I think the whole session lasted an hour after which we had to leave. What was interesting was there were supervisors, watching us closely where we go. I asked for a toilet break and was let to use the toilet. I must say it was an impressive one, 
After I came out of the restroom, I saw a few people taking photos, so I took out my camera and shot a few photos quickly.
These photos were taken in the hall of the building, on my way out.
The building is an impressive one, full or marble, painted windows and statues. The value of the artworks the building is hosting is unimaginable. The doors were made of wood, massive carved wood.
At this point I was asked to stop taking photos and reminded that it is not allowed. I said I was sorry and put away my camera. When I exited the building, I saw those who were taking photos get in a car with diplomatic plates. Only then I understood why they were allowed to take photos and I wasn't. Lucky me, I was able to keep these photos.
It was a unique experience that I will always remember. I'm not sure if the building is still used by the ICC or if it is open to the public, but I'm glad I was able to visit and take a few photos that I am sharing now with you.
About The Case
Even though I did not know the details of the case, I knew very well what happened in Yugoslavia, the genocide, the ethnic cleansing, the war rapes and so on. You can read about this here. Must have been terrible and such things should never happen.
Russia's Military Invasion of Ukraine
Ukraine has filed a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice for no good reason for Russia's military action in Ukraine.
The trial was in response to Ukraine's request to the court to issue a tentative order to Russia to immediately stop military operations, and the trial will be held for two days on the 7th and 8th of this month. source
It is good that the International Court of Justice is investigating the case, but don't expect a verdict soon. These cases can last for years. I'm hoping to see justice served as soon as possible.