The International Criminal Court issued a war crimes arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine. This move is significant because it is the first time the ICC has issued a warrant against a leader of one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. While the chances of Putin or Maria Lvova-Belova, the commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation, facing trial are highly unlikely, the moral condemnation will likely stain Putin’s reputation for the rest of his life. In addition, this will impact his ability to attend international summits in nations bound to arrest him.
International Criminal Court Issues Arrest Warrant for Putin for War Crimes
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes, alleging his personal responsibility for abducting children from Ukraine. This is the first time the ICC has issued a warrant against a leader of one of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.
The ICC accuses Putin of being “allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of (children) and that of unlawful transfer of (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.” While Moscow dismissed the warrant, Ukraine welcomed it as a major breakthrough.
However, the chances of Putin facing trial at the ICC are highly unlikely as Moscow does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction or extradite its nationals. The ICC has no police force of its own to enforce the warrants. Still, this moral condemnation is likely to stain the Russian leader’s reputation for the rest of his life and could restrict his ability to attend international summits in nations bound to arrest him.
The court also issued a warrant for the arrest of Maria Lvova-Belova, the commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation. Lvova-Belova was allegedly involved in the abduction of Ukrainian orphans in October.
Established as a permanent court of last resort, the ICC prosecutes political leaders and other key perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. The court can impose a maximum sentence of life imprisonment when justified by the extreme gravity of the crime, according to its founding treaty, the Rome Statute.
As the ICC’s judges have issued the warrants, it will be up to the international community to enforce them. Adil Ahmad Haque, an expert in international law and armed conflict at Rutgers University, believes that Putin “just won’t travel to the rest of the world and won’t travel to ICC member states who he believes would… arrest him.” Meanwhile, David Crane, a former international prosecutor, says that Putin has lost all political credibility globally, and any world leader who stands by him will be shamed as well.
Russian President Vladimir Putin Receives Arrest Warrant for War Crimes
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes relating to his alleged personal responsibility for the abduction of children from Ukraine. The ICC claims that Putin “bears individual criminal responsibility” for the child abductions “for having committed the acts directly, jointly with others and/or through others” and for failing to “exercise control properly over civilian and military subordinates who committed the acts.” The arrest warrant was also issued for Maria Lvova-Belova, the commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation.
However, Moscow has vehemently reaffirmed its position that it does not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the court’s move “outrageous and unacceptable,” while Ukraine welcomed it as a major breakthrough. Ukrainian officials were jubilant at the move, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calling it a “historic decision, from which historic responsibility will begin.”
While Ukraine is also not a member of the global court, it has granted it jurisdiction over its territory, and ICC prosecutor Karim Khan has visited four times since opening an investigation a year ago.
The chances of Putin or Lvova-Belova facing trial are highly unlikely, as Russia does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction or extradite its nationals. Nevertheless, the moral condemnation will likely stain the Russian leader’s reputation for the rest of his life, and his ability to attend international summits in nations bound to arrest him may be restricted.
The United States and China, along with Russia and Ukraine, are not members of the 123-member ICC. President Joe Biden called the ICC’s decision “justified” and said that Putin “clearly committed war crimes,” despite the US not recognizing the court either.
The ICC was established as a permanent court of last resort, which prosecutes political leaders and other key perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. The court can impose a maximum sentence of life imprisonment when justified by the extreme gravity of the crime, according to its founding treaty, the Rome Statute. The ICC has no police force of its own to enforce the warrants, and it will be up to the international community to enforce them.
ICC Prosecutor Investigates Child Abductions in Ukraine
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan visited a care home for children in southern Ukraine that was allegedly emptied due to the deportation of children from Ukraine to the Russian Federation or their unlawful transfer to other parts of the temporarily occupied territories. Khan has prioritized the investigation of these alleged acts and stated that children cannot be treated as the spoils of war. Russia rejected the allegations and warrants, but the ICC action will have a significant impact in ending the impunity that has emboldened perpetrators in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Balkees Jarrah, associate international justice director at Human Rights Watch, stated that the ICC has made Putin a wanted man and taken its first step to end the impunity that has emboldened perpetrators in Russia’s war against Ukraine for far too long. David Crane, who indicted Liberian President Charles Taylor 20 years ago for crimes in Sierra Leone, said that dictators and tyrants around the world are now on notice that those who commit international crimes will be held accountable.
The U.N.-backed inquiry cited Russian attacks against civilians in Ukraine, including systematic torture and killing in occupied regions, among potential issues that amount to war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity. The sweeping investigation also found crimes committed against Ukrainians on Russian territory, including deported Ukrainian children who were prevented from reuniting with their families, a “filtration” system aimed at singling out Ukrainians for detention, and torture and inhumane detention conditions.
While Russia rejected the allegations and warrants, the ICC action against Putin will likely impact his reputation and ability to attend international summits in nations bound to arrest him. The ICC, established as a permanent court of last resort, prosecutes political leaders and other key perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. The court can impose a maximum sentence of life imprisonment when justified by the extreme gravity of the crime, according to its founding treaty, the Rome Statute.
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