From the BBC:
“Putin arrest warrant issued over war crime allegations”
(Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Maria
Lvova-Belova, Russian children's rights commissioner, at the Novo-Ogaryovo
state residence, outside Moscow, on February 16, 2023)
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest
warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin. The court alleges he is
responsible for war crimes, including the unlawful deportation of children from
Ukraine to Russia. It says the crimes were committed in Ukraine at least from
24 February 2022 - when Russia launched its full-scale invasion. Moscow has
denied allegations of war crimes during the invasion.
The ICC has charged Mr Putin with being involved in the
deportation of children, and says it has reasonable grounds to believe he
committed the acts directly, as well as working with others. The court also
said the Russian leader failed to exercise his rights to stop others who
deported children. Russia's commissioner for children's rights, Maria
Lvova-Belova, is also wanted by the ICC. A Russian foreign ministry
spokesperson has said the arrest warrants are meaningless. "The decisions
of the International Criminal Court have no meaning for our country, including
from a legal point of view," Maria Zakharova said on Thursday, when word
of the warrants being issued emerged. That is because despite the warrants, the
ICC has no powers to arrest suspects, and can only exercise jurisdiction within
countries who are signed up to the agreement that set up the court. Russia is
not a signatory to that agreement - so it is unlikely either will be
extradited.
^ Of course I didn’t expect Putin to be arrested, but the ICC
has 123 member countries (including all of Europe except Russia and Belarus,
all of South America, most of Central America and large parts of Africa) – so if
Putin or his Minions go there to flee or to visit those countries have an
obligation to arrest him. He can’t escape to South America once Russia is
defeated in Ukraine like most German Nazis did after World War 2. ^
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