File photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin (Photo: Reuters)
The International Criminal Court announced that it had issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin for the “illegal deportation” of Ukrainian children.
The International Criminal Court said Friday that it had issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes in connection with the “illegal deportation” of children from Ukraine.
In its first warrant for Ukraine, the ICC accused Russia’s 70-year-old president of allegedly being responsible for the “war crime of illegal deportation of population (children) and illegal transfer of population (children) from occupied territories”. . Ukraine to the Russian Federation.”
The crimes were allegedly committed in Ukrainian-occupied territory since at least 24 February 2022.
The Hague-based ICC said it had also issued a warrant against Russia’s presidential commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, on similar charges.
The statement noted that based on the prosecutor’s applications of 22 February 2023, “there are reasonable grounds to believe that each of the suspects will be charged with the war crime of illegal deportation of the population and illegal transfer of the population from the occupied territories of Ukraine to Russia.” Federation, in prejudice to Ukrainian children.”
‘This is just the beginning’
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba praised the ICC’s decision. “The wheel of justice is turning: I applaud the ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova over the forced relocation of Ukrainian children. International criminals will be held accountable for child theft and other international crimes.”
Ukraine’s president’s chief of staff, Andrey Ermak, welcomed the decision and said the arrest warrant against the Russian president was an initial step in restoring justice over Russia’s invasion. “The Hague Chamber of the International Criminal Court issues an arrest warrant for Putin. This is just the beginning,” Ermak said on social media.
Ukraine’s Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Andrey Kostin, also praised the decision, calling it a historic decision. “The world received a signal that the Russian regime is criminal and that its leadership and operatives will be held accountable,” Kostin said in a statement on social media. “This is a historic verdict for Ukraine and for the entire system of international law.”
Russia says ‘legally void’
Meanwhile, Russia has responded to the ICC warrant for Putin, saying it has ‘no meaning’ and is ‘legally void’. “The decisions of the International Criminal Court have no meaning for our country, including from a legal point of view,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on social media.
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