[JURIST] Ukrainian officials on Tuesday accepted [declaration, PDF; press release] International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website] jurisdiction over crimes that may have occurred since February of last year. Fighting and political clashes between Russian and Ukrainians loyalists after Russia’s annexation of Crimea have been ongoing since late 2013. Ukraine had previously accepted ICC jurisdiction over crimes occurring in its territory between November 21, 2013, and February 22, 2014. According to the UN Human Rights Office [official website], 7,962 people have been killed [JURIST report] and more than 17,00 injured since the fighting in eastern Ukraine.

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has continued to be a prevalent topic ever since the Crimean Annexation [JURIST backgrounder]. Last month a Russian military court sentenced [JURIST report] two Ukrainian activists to substantial jail time for the charge of conspiring to commit terror attacks. In March the EU committed to stand by [JURIST report] its policy of refusing to recognize Crimea’s annexation, as they purport the illegality of Russia’s referendum. In February Russian liberal political activist Boris Nemtsov was shot in the back four times [BBC report] in the middle of busy downtown Moscow. Nemtsov was openly politically opposed to Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its role in Ukraine, and many believe Vladimir Putin ordered [JURIST report] the killing. The conflict has often been labeled the biggest crisis between Russia and the West since the Cold War. US President Barack Obama has strongly condemned [JURIST report] Russia’s military intervention in the region as a violation of international law.