THE HAGUE War Crime — Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, is accused of personally being responsible for kidnapping children from Ukraine by the International Criminal Court, which announced on Friday that it had issued an arrest warrant for him for war crimes.
That was the first time the ICC had issued a warrant against the head of one of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, even though world leaders have previously been indicted.
Putin “is allegedly responsible for the war crime of (children’s) unlawful deportation from (occupied) territories of Ukraine to the Russian Federation,” according to a statement from the court.
It also issued a warrant for Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-arrest Belova on related charges on Friday. Maria is the commissioner for children’s rights in the Russian Federation’s Office of the President.
Moscow instantly discounted the action, while Ukraine hailed it as a significant advance. Yet, at least initially, its application in the real world will likely be limited.
But he’ll carry the stigma of moral failure with him for the rest of his life.
“Vladimir Putin will always be regarded as an outcast around the world. He no longer has any political standing anywhere in the world. According to former international prosecutor David Crane, who spoke to The Associated Press, every foreign leader who supports him will also be embarrassed.
Piotr Hofmanski, the court’s president, said in a video statement that although the ICC’s judges issued the warrants, it would be up to the rest of the world to ensure they were carried out. The court needs a private police force to do this.
responsible for the war crime of (children’s) unlawful deportation from (occupied) territories of Ukraine
“The judges issued arrest warrants. International cooperation is necessary for the execution, he said.
The court can inflict a maximum sentence of life imprisonment “where justified by the extraordinary gravity of the offense and the unique circumstances of the convicted person,” according to its founding treaty known as the Rome Statute.
Yet, the likelihood of Russians being tried at the ICC remains incredibly remote because Moscow continues to reject the court’s jurisdiction.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, maintained that Russia rejects the ICC and views its rulings as “legally void.” Russia views the court’s action as “outrageous and reprehensible,” he continued.
When questioned whether Putin would avoid traveling to nations where he might be detained under the ICC’s arrest warrant, Peskov declined to respond.
According to Dmytro Lubinets, the director of human rights in Ukraine, 16,226 children were sent abroad, according to information from the National Information Bureau. Ukraine has succeeded in bringing 308 kids home.
Lvova-Belova responded with dripping sarcasm. She was also named in the warrant. It’s wonderful that the international community has recognized our efforts to assist the children in our nation, take them out of danger zones, provide for their needs, and surround them with kind, compassionate people.
Mykhailo Podolyak, a presidential adviser, declared that “the world shifted”.
Officials in Ukraine were thrilled with the decision.
Mykhailo Podolyak, a presidential adviser, declared that “the world shifted”. The “wheels of justice are spinning,” according to foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba, who also claimed that “international criminals will be held accountable for taking children and other international crimes.”
The news of the arrest warrant was welcomed by Olga Lopatkina, a Ukrainian woman who fought for months to get her foster children back after they were sent to a facility run by Russian supporters. “Excellent news!” she said in an exchange of messages with The Associated Press. “Everyone should be held accountable for their misdeeds,”
Even while Ukraine is not a member of the ICC, it has granted it jurisdiction over its territory, and since beginning an investigation a year ago, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan has visited Ukraine four times.
The 123-member international court does not include the United States, China, Russia and Ukraine.
“Reasonable grounds to believe that each suspect bears responsibility for the war crime of unlawful population deportation and unlawful population transfer from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, in prejudice of Ukrainian children,” the International Criminal Court (ICC) stated in a statement following the findings of its pre-trial chamber.
For having committed the acts “directly, jointly with others and through others” and for failing to “exercise control properly over civilian and military subordinates who committed the acts,” the court statement stated that “there are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr. Putin bears individual criminal responsibility” for the kidnappings.
ICC prosecutor Khan reported seeing a children’s home in southern Ukraine 2 kilometers (just over a mile) from the fighting lines on his most recent visit earlier this month.
ICC action would have a significant impact, while Russia denounced the court’s accusations
The drawings nailed to the wall “spoke to a context of love and support that was there once,” he added in a statement. The reported repatriation of children from Ukraine to the Russian Federation or their illegal transfer to other areas of the temporarily controlled regions left this home vacant.
“As I stated to the U.N. Security Council in September, my office prioritizes investigating these alleged activities. Children cannot be considered war’s loot, according to Khan.
Others asserted that the ICC action would have a significant impact, while Russia denounced the court’s accusations and warrants as false and without merit.
Balkees Jarrah, associate director of international justice at Human Rights Watch, stated, “The ICC has labeled Putin a wanted man and taken its first move to end the impunity that has empowered criminals in Russia’s war on Ukraine for far too long. “The warrants send a strong message that providing the go-ahead for major crimes against civilians or tolerating such crimes may result in a prison cell in The Hague.”
Crane, who 20 years ago indicted the president of Liberia, Charles Taylor, for atrocities committed in Sierra Leone, warned tyrants and dictators around the world that “those who perpetrate international crimes will be held accountable, including heads of state.”
After being arrested, Taylor was later tried in the Netherlands before a special court. He was found guilty and given a 50-year prison term.
“This is an important day for justice and for the people of Ukraine,” Crane wrote in a statement to the A.P.
On Thursday, a U.N.-backed investigation listed possible incidents that amount to war crimes and maybe crimes against humanity, including Russian strikes against people in Ukraine, systematic torture, and murders in the seized territory.
A “filtration” system designed to single out Ukrainians for detention, torture, and inhumane conditions was also discovered in the extensive investigation into crimes against Ukrainians committed on Russian soil. Deported Ukrainian children who were prevented from rejoining their families were also discovered.
But, the ICC gave Putin a face on Friday, ending the accusations of kidnapping.
SOURCE – (AP)
