Putin under suspicion now, he may be arrested abroad – Ukraine's Prosecutor General
Andrii Kostin, Prosecutor General of Ukraine, has reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin is officially suspected of committing international crime now; he can be arrested and brought to court when outside of Russia.
Source: Kostin on Facebook
Quote: "From now, the Russian president is officially suspected of committing international crimes, namely illegal deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children. The International Criminal Court has issued warrants for the arrest of Putin, President of Russia, and Lvova-Belova, Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights.
This means that outside of Russia [in countries that have ratified the Rome Statute – ed.]. Putin should be arrested and brought to court. And world leaders will think three times before shaking his hand or sitting down at a negotiating table with him.
The world received a signal that the Russian regime is criminal and its leadership and henchmen will be held accountable."
Details: According to Kostin, the Prosecutor General's Office handed over more than 40 volumes, more than 1,000 pages, of materials to the ICC. In general, the deportation of more than 16,000 children from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv and Kherson oblasts was recorded in the proceedings in which the Prosecutor General's Office provides procedural guidance.
For reference: The jurisdiction of the ICC extends to countries that have ratified the Rome Statute. Ukraine is not a party to the Rome Statute. However, Ukraine has given the International Criminal Court the right to investigate crimes on its territory.
A total of 123 states are members of the Rome Statute, including the states of South America and about half of the states of Africa, so they will have to pay attention to the warrants issued by the ICC. China, India, Belarus, Turkey, Kazakhstan, among others, did not sign or ratify the statute. Russia, like the United States, signed the charter, but later withdrew its signature.
Background:
- Last October, Maria Lvova-Belova, Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights, told Putin she had "adopted" a child abducted from Mariupol. She claims that as of October alone, up to 2,000 orphans from social institutions had been taken to Russia, and 350 children from Donbas had already been placed in "foster families" in 16 oblasts of Russia.
- The Ukrainian side recorded the deportation of 16,221 children.
- Earlier, The International Criminal Court (ICC) reportedly intended to open two war crime criminal cases connected with the Russian invasion of Ukraine: one about the kidnapping of Ukrainian children and the other about purposeful Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure facilities in Ukraine.
- Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin on 17 March, in view of the situation in Ukraine.
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