International Criminal Court issues warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin
![Vladimir Putin](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cQN2mJj2AeUt54BgfMq2iE-415-80.jpg)
The International Criminal Court in the Hauge, Netherlands, has called for the arrest and prosecution of Russian President Vladimir Putin for his role in allegedly abducting Ukranian children during Russia's ongoing invasion of that country.
In an arrest warrant issued Friday, Putin and fellow Russian government official Maria Lvova-Belova are accused of "the war crime of unlawful deportation of population and that of unlawful transfer of population from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, in prejudice of Ukrainian children," according to a press release from the ICC.
Noting that the exact contents of the warrant are secret "to protect victims," ICC President Piotr Hofmański said in a brief video message that the decision to publicize the warrants was made 'in the interest of justice, and to prevent the commission of future crimes."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
While Ukrainian Parliamentary Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk hailed news of the arrest warrants as "a big step in restoring world justice," Russian government officials have dismissed the ICC's decision as having "no meaning for our country, including from a legal point of view."
"Russia is not a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and bears no obligations under it," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. "Russia is not cooperating with this body."
According to an Oct. 2022 New York Times report, "thousands of Ukrainian children have been transferred to Russia" over the course of its invasion effort, with Russian media championing the intake of Ukrainian youth by broadcasting images of "officials offer[ing] teddy bears to new arrivals, who are portrayed as abandoned children being rescued from war." Noting that although "many of the children did come from orphanages and group homes" in Ukraine, the Times' reporting found that Russian authorities also "took children whose relatives or guardians want them back."
Crucially, although the ICC can issue warrants for heads of state accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, it has no enforcement mechanism for such demands, and instead must rely on member states to arrest and detain the accused if that foreign leader enters their territory.
A United Nations panel also found separate evidence that Russian forces may have committed war crimes during the invasion of Ukraine, specifically by attacking "energy-related infrastructure" and by torturing prisoners.
In remarks posted to his Telegram channel, Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky laid blame for alleged Russian war crimes directly at the feet of Putin, saying "It would be impossible to carry out such a criminal operation without the order of the top leader of the terrorist state."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.
-
Hamas and Fatah sign unity agreement in Beijing
Speed Read China brokered a reconciliation deal between the rival Palestinian factions
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
The Earth just saw its hottest day on record
Speed Read July 21, 2024 was the hottest day in recorded global history
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Bob Menendez to resign after corruption conviction
Speed Read The New Jersey senator submitted to resignation pressure following charges of federal bribery and corruption
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Menendez convicted of bribery, fraud, and extortion
Speed Read The New Jersey Democratic Senator was found guilty in a federal corruption trial
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Florida judge dismisses Trump documents case
Speed Read Judge Aileen Cannon ruled that special counsel Jack Smith was improperly appointed
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Hamas says military chief survived Israeli strike
Speed Read An Israeli bombing failed to hit its intended target, military commander Mohammed Deif, but killed at least 90 Palestinians
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden, Trump urge calm after assassination attempt
Speed Reads A 20-year-old gunman grazed Trump's ear and fatally shot a rally attendee on Saturday
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US and Germany foil Russian assassination plot
Speed Read The target was the CEO of Rheinmetall, which has been making weapons for Ukraine
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
First Israeli report on Oct. 7 finds 'severe mistakes and errors' in IDF response
Speed Reads Israeli military admits failures in response to deadly Hamas attack that triggered Gaza war
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Ukraine's F-16 fighter jets to fly 'this summer'
Speed Read Warplanes sent by the U.S. and other NATO allies will help combat Russian forces
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Even with the incumbency factor, the center-left can win and win big'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published