The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes related to his alleged involvement in abductions of children from Ukraine.Â
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes related to his alleged involvement in the abduction of children from Ukraine. The ICC’s pre-trial chamber found “reasonable grounds to believe” that Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for the unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children from occupied territories to Russia. However, any trial of Russians at the ICC remains a long way off as Russia does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction and does not extradite its nationals. Ukraine is also not a member of the ICC, but it has granted the court jurisdiction over its territory. The ICC’s judges have issued the warrants, but it will be up to the international community to enforce them, as the court has no police force of its own. On Thursday, a UN-backed inquiry also cited Russian attacks against civilians in Ukraine, including systematic torture and killing in occupied regions, among potential war crimes and crimes against humanity.Â
