Arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin issued by ICC for Ukrainian war crimes

In a video statement, Hofmansky said an ICC judge had issued the warrant, but it was up to the international community to enforce it.

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“The ICC is acting as a court of law. The judge has issued an arrest warrant. The execution depends on international cooperation,” he said.

Courts do not have the power to arrest suspects and can only exercise jurisdiction in the country that signed the agreement establishing the court. Neither is likely to be handed over, as Russia has not signed that agreement.

The warrant was issued a day after a UN-backed investigation accused Russia of committing widespread war crimes in Ukraine. This includes the deportation of children from areas controlled by Russia.

Since the early days of the invasion last February, Kiev has accused Russia of forcibly deporting children and adults.

The Kremlin has repeatedly denied accusations that its troops committed atrocities during the invasion of neighboring countries and said the court’s decision was meaningless.

“The ICC’s decision means nothing to our country, including from a legal point of view,” Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on the Telegram channel.

The Russian embassy in Washington said last month that the country had taken in children who had been forced to flee the fighting.

Ukraine, also not a member of the Court, recognizes the ICC’s jurisdiction over its territory, which ICC prosecutor Karim Khan has visited four times since launching an investigation a year ago.

Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin welcomed the court’s decision to issue an arrest warrant.

“The world has received a signal that the Russian regime is criminal and that its leaders and minions will be held accountable,” he said in a social media statement. “This is history for Ukraine and the entire international legal system.” It’s a decisive decision.”

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