ICC issues Putin warrant

 ICC issues Putin warrant

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, accusing them of involvement in the illegal deportation and transfer of children from Ukraine to Russia. The court stated that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Putin is individually criminally responsible for the alleged child abductions and for failing to properly control his civilian and military subordinates who committed the acts. However, the Kremlin has rejected the warrant, stating that the court has no jurisdiction and that its decision is null and void.

The ICC, based in The Hague, does not have the power to enforce its warrants. It is up to ICC member states to make arrests and hand over the individuals to the court. Russia has consistently denied allegations of war crimes committed by its forces during the one-year conflict in Ukraine.

Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson, responded to the news by declaring that Moscow does not acknowledge the ICC's jurisdiction. He described the court's questions as outrageous and unacceptable and stated that any decisions made by the court are null and void concerning Russia. Meanwhile, Maria Zakharova, a Russian https://rb.gy/gsh95g foreign ministry spokesperson, dismissed the warrant, stating that the decisions of the ICC hold no legal significance for Russia, as the country is not a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and therefore bears no obligations under it.