Arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin over Ukraine war crimes

Vladimir Putin

The International Criminal Court said Friday it has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes because of his alleged involvement in abductions of children from Ukraine. The court said in a statement that Putin "is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation."

It also issued a warrant Friday for the arrest of Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, the Commissioner for Children's Rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation, on similar allegations. The court's president, Piotr Hofmanski, said while the ICC's judges have issued the warrants, it will be up to the international community to enforce them. The court has no police force of its own to enforce warrants.

Also Read: Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Russia for talks with Vladimir Putin

"The ICC is doing its part of work as a court of law," he said. "The judges issued arrest warrants. The execution depends on international cooperation." A possible trial of any Russians at the ICC remains a long way off, as Moscow does not recognize the court's jurisdiction.

Xi to visit Moscow

Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to visit Russia from Monday to Wednesday, in an apparent show of support for Putin amid sharpening East-West tensions over the war in Ukraine.

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