World
ICC issues arrest warrant for Putin over war crimes in Ukraine
![](https://bnonews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/20221130VladimirPutin.jpg)
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his children’s rights commissioner in connection with the alleged kidnapping of thousands of Ukrainian children.
In a statement, the court in The Hague said Putin is alleged to have committed the war crimes of unlawful deportation of children and the unlawful transfer of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia.
“There are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crimes, (i) for having committed the acts directly, jointly with others and/or through others … and (ii) for his failure to exercise control properly over civilian and military subordinates who committed the acts, or allowed for their commission,” the court said.
The court also issued an arrest warrant for Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights, for the same alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
Russia has been accused of numerous war crimes, including the abduction of thousands of Ukrainian children who were forcibly adopted in Russia. Some of those children later appeared at government events. Russia has denied allegations of war crimes.
“It is forbidden by international law for occupying powers to transfer civilians from the territory they live in to other territories,” ICC President Piotr Hofmański said. “Children enjoy special protection under the Geneva Convention.”
Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, said Friday’s court decision was “meaningless” as Russia is not a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
“Russia does not cooperate with this body, and possible ‘warrants’ for arrest coming from the International Criminal Court will be legally null and void for us,” Zakharova said in a statement.
ICC President Piotr Hofmański recognized the difficulty of enforcing the arrest warrants. “As a court of law, the judges issued arrest warrants. The execution depends on international cooperation,” he said.
#ICC President Judge Piotr Hofmański on recent arrest warrants against Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova in the context of the situation in #Ukraine
— Int'l Criminal Court (@IntlCrimCourt) March 17, 2023
More info: https://t.co/5OMC7Xuuy5 pic.twitter.com/45bT4mHqIs
![](https://bnonews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Artboard1-11.png)
-
World1 day ago
U.S. and China report 3 more human cases of bird flu, UN calls for urgent action
-
Politics7 days ago
U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee dead at 74
-
Legal7 days ago
Florida man arrested for threatening to kill Trump and Vance
-
World1 week ago
7.4-magnitude earthquake hits northern Chile
-
Legal5 days ago
At least 19 people shot, 3 killed, outside Mississippi nightclub
-
World1 week ago
Cyanide found on tea cups after 6 people die at Bangkok hotel
-
Legal7 days ago
Texas Amber Alert: 2 children last seen in Bastrop County
-
Legal1 week ago
Kansas Amber Alert: Jaxon Halley abducted in Kansas City