The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an international arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday for war crimes in Ukraine.
In addition to Putin, an arrest warrant has also been issued for Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, the child rights commissioner of the Russian presidency, on charges similar to those of the Russian president.
The court ruled that there are “reasonable grounds to believe that each of the accused is responsible for the war crime of illegally deporting civilians and illegally transferring population from occupied territories of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, to the detriment of [dos direitos] of Ukrainian children.”
The court accuses Putin of war crimes committed “on occupied Ukrainian territory since at least February 24, 2022”, and claims there are “reasonable grounds to believe” that the Russian president has failed “to exercise sufficient control over civilian or military subordinates he has committed. acts”.
With regard to Lvova-Belova, the ICC says it has “reasonable grounds to believe” that the commissioner has “individual criminal responsibility” for war crimes related to the illegal deportation of population.
The court ruled that the warrants are secret to protect victims and witnesses and to secure the investigation. The entity believes that it is in the interest of justice to disclose the names of suspects and the crimes for which arrest warrants have been issued.
“It’s just the beginning,” says Kiev
The Ukrainian presidency reacted to the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin by saying it was just a first step towards restoring justice in relation to the Russian invasion.
“It’s just the beginning,” the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, wrote on social media.
Updated
Source: DN
