Irish Examiner view: Day in court for Criminal No 1

Even in the tumult of war, there are rules. And whether it's Rwanda or Ukraine, transgressors will be called to account

Tens of thousands of crimes have been registered by the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general, led by Iryna Venediktova, pictured on Tuesday with German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock and officials after they inspected a mass grave in Bucha, Kyiv. Picture: Efrem Lukatsky/AP

The Russian defendant who has appeared in court for the start of the first war crime trial since Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine may look like a scared young boy, but that is a reminder of what many soldiers are.

Vadim Shysimarin, 21, arrived at Kyiv’s small district court No 3 to face charges of murdering a 62-year-old unarmed man riding his bicycle by using an AK-74 assault rifle. He is to plead guilty and a trial will start next week.