The International Criminal Court in The Hague (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. The court reports this in a press release. Putin is responsible for the war crime of unlawfully deporting children from occupied territories in Ukraine to Russia, according to the tribunal.
According to the ICC, there are reasonable grounds to believe that Putin is individually criminally responsible for this war crime. For example, he would have committed the crimes directly, alone or in collaboration with others, or would have given permissions to carry out the crimes.
In addition to Putin, another arrest warrant has also been requested against Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian commissioner for children’s rights. She is also suspected of being responsible for the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
The president of the ICC Piotr Hofmánski said during a press conference that it is forbidden under international law to deport civilians from their habitat. “Children enjoy a special protection, included in the Geneva conventions,” said Hofmánski.