RUSSIA – The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova on March 17, 2023. The warrants were issued in relation to the ongoing war in Ukraine, and the ICC said they were for the war crime of unlawful deportation of children and the unlawful transfer of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.
Arrest warrants are usually issued in secrecy to protect victims and witnesses and to safeguard the investigation, but in this case, the ICC authorized the public disclosure of the existence of the warrants against the top Russian official to prevent the further commission of crimes. The ICC said that the public disclosure of the names of the suspects and the crimes for which the warrants were issued was made because the conduct addressed in the present situation is allegedly ongoing, and the public awareness of the warrants may contribute to the prevention of the further commission of crimes.
The ICC’s decision has been met with defiance by Russia. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russia does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction, and Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that decisions of the court have no consequence in Russia and that any potential arrest warrants are null and void.
The International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court was established by the Rome Statute in 1998. It is not part of the United Nations and is accountable to the countries that have ratified the statute. The countries that are not parties to the statute include Russia, the United States, and China. Russia signed the law but did not ratify it, and the United States signed the statute but later revoked its signature. Putin signed an executive order in 2016 stating that Russia would not be a member of the ICC.
The Conflict
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine began in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea and pro-Russian separatists seized control of parts of eastern Ukraine. The conflict has led to the deaths of over 13,000 people, and more than 1.5 million have been displaced. The conflict has also had a severe impact on children, with many being forced to flee their homes and being separated from their families.
(Photo by kremlin.ru)
The ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants against Putin and Lvova-Belova is a significant development in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. It remains to be seen what impact the warrants will have on the conflict and on Russia’s relationship with the ICC.
