ICC issues arrest warrant against Putin on war crime charges

The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday issued warrant of arrest against Russian President Vladimir Putin on charges of the war crime, said the ICC in a release.

Pre-Trial Chamber II of the ICC issued warrants of arrest for Putin and Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova holding them allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russia.

The crimes were allegedly committed in Ukrainian occupied territory at least from 24 February 2022.

There are reasonable grounds to believe that Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crimes, for having committed the acts directly, jointly with others and/or through others for his failure to exercise control properly over civilian and military subordinates who committed the acts, or allowed for their commission, and who were under his effective authority and control, pursuant to superior responsibility, the court observed.

Lvova-Belova is allegedly responsible for the war crime as there are reasonable grounds to believe that she bears individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crimes, for having committed the acts directly, jointly with others and/or through others.

The Chamber considered that the warrants are secret in order to protect victims and witnesses and also to safeguard the investigation.

Nevertheless, mindful that the conduct addressed in the present situation is allegedly ongoing, and that the public awareness of the warrants may contribute to the prevention of the further commission of crimes, the Chamber considered that it is in the interests of justice to authorise the Registry to publicly disclose the existence of the warrants, the name of the suspects, the crimes for which the warrants are issued, and the modes of liability as established by the Chamber.

The abovementioned warrants of arrests were issued pursuant to the applications submitted by the Prosecution on 22 February 2023.