The International Criminal Court on Friday issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of war crimes for the invasion of Ukraine.
Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russian commissioner for children’s rights, are wanted by the ICC for illegally deporting and transporting Ukrainian children to Russia.
The arrest warrants mark the first international charges filed since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and the first against a leader of a country with a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
“This is an important moment in the justice process,” said ICC President Judge Piotr Hofmański in a video statement.
Hofmański noted that, according to procedures, the court’s chief prosecutor had presented his case against the couple before a panel of investigative judges, who concluded that there were “credible accusations” against them.
The ICC does not recognize diplomatic immunity for leaders accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide.
Russia is not a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty that gave rise to the ICC, and is not likely to hand over Putin or Lvova-Belova for prosecution.
“The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin,” Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian president and current vice-chairman of the Russian Security Council, wrote on the site. Twitter. “There is no need to explain WHERE this document should be used🧻.”
But the charges, which do not expire, will turn the couple into international pariahs.
He 123 countries who have ratified the Rome Statute are It is urged to arrest any suspect in its territory..
“The ICC is doing its part of the job. As a court of law, judges issued arrest warrants. Their execution depends on international cooperation,” Hofmański said.
