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What to Know about the ICC’s Arrest Warrant for Putin


International Criminal Court on Friday issue warrants for war crimes against President Vladimir V. Putin and a second Russian official. Here’s a closer look at the court, the arrest warrant and what it means for the Russian leader.

The court said that Mr Putin was personally criminally responsible for the kidnapping and deportation of Ukrainian children since the full-scale invasion of Russia began last February. The court also issued an arrest warrant for Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian commissioner for children’s rights, who served as the face of a Kremlin-sponsored program in which Ukrainian children and teenagers was brought to Russia.

The court said in a declare “that there are reasonable grounds to believe that each suspect is responsible for war crimes of illegal deportation and illegal migration from occupied regions of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.”

A New York Times investigation published in October identified a number of Ukrainian children who were taken away in Russia’s systematic resettlement efforts. The children describe a harrowing process of coercion, deception, and force. Russia has defended the transfers on humanitarian grounds.

Lawyers familiar with the ICC case recently said they expect prosecutors to proceed with an arrest warrant because of the overwhelming amount of public evidence. On Friday, The court said in a statement that we note that “behavior addressed in the current situation is believed to be ongoing and public perception of an arrest warrant may contribute to preventing further offenses.”

The International Criminal Court was created two decades ago as a permanent body to investigate war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity under a 1998 treaty signed by the International Criminal Court. called the Rome Statute. In the past, the United Nations Security Council has established special courts to deal with atrocities in places like the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.

The court is based in The Hague, a Dutch city that has long been the center of international law and justice.

Many democracies have joined the International Criminal Court, including close US allies like Britain. But the United States has long kept its distance, fearing that a court might one day seek to prosecute American officials, and Russia is not a member.

Biden administration embroiled in internal dispute on whether to provide the court with evidence gathered by the US intelligence community about Russian war crimes. Most administrations favor the transfer of evidence, according to people familiar with internal discussions, but the Pentagon has balked at not wanting to set a precedent that could pave the way for future prosecutions of Americans. .

Human rights groups hailed the order as an important step towards ending Russia’s war crimes immunity in Ukraine, but the chances of a trial during Putin’s time in power appear slim. because the court cannot hear the defendants in absentia and Russia has said it will do so. not surrender to its officials.

The Russian Foreign Ministry was quick to dismiss the orders, noting that they were not a party to the court. However, Putin’s arrest warrant deepens his isolation in the West and could limit his activities abroad. If he travels to a country that is a member of the ICC, that country must arrest him, in accordance with its obligations under international law.

“This makes Putin an outcast,” said Stephen Rapp, former head of the Global Criminal Justice Office at the US State Department. “If he is traveling, he is at risk of arrest. This never goes away.” And, he said, Russia cannot get sanctions lifted if it doesn’t comply with the orders.

“Either Putin is put on trial in The Hague,” Rapp said, or “he becomes increasingly isolated, and dies with this hanging over his head.”

Courts do not have the power to arrest sitting heads of state or bring them to trial, instead having to rely on other leaders and governments to act as sheriffs around the world. A suspect who tries to evade arrest may never have a hearing to confirm the charges.

However, late last year, a legal move further complicated matters. In November, the prosecutor of the court petition to continue with the confirmation of the allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity against Joseph Kony, Ugandan warrior and founder of God’s Resistance Army, although he was not in captivity and was a fugitive for many years. Mr. Kony, who turned kidnapped children into soldiers, has been charged with murder, cruelty, slavery, rape and assaulting civilians.

Mr Khan’s lawsuit is like a test ball, to see if the courts would agree that allegations can be confirmed even if someone is not in custody. The decision is pending.

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