ICC Issues Arrest Warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin

Brussels, MINA – The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.

Putin is alleged to have committed a war crime by organizing the forced deportation of Ukrainian children during Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

According to the Russian media Interfax, the ICC’s decision sparked a strong reaction from the Kremlin. Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov called the action outrageous and unacceptable.

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said there were reasonable grounds to believe that Putin was responsible for the criminal act of deportation and unlawful transfer of Ukrainian children from occupied Ukraine to Russia.

“Incidents identified by my office include the deportation of at least hundreds of children who were taken from orphanages and daycare centres. Many of these children, we suspect, have been given up for adoption in Russia,” Khan said in a statement.

The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Russia’s Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvov-Belova on the same charge.

Neither Russia nor Ukraine are parties to the ICC, but Kiev allows the ICC jurisdiction to deal with these war crimes.

While Russia is unlikely to agree to Putin’s surrender, he could be arrested if he travels to ICC member countries, including Japan. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)