News
Here’s what to know about The ICC’s arrest warrant for Putin on war crimes
Published
1 year agoon
By
New Yorker
World
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir V. Putin and a Russian official for war crimes. Here’s a look at the warrant and what it could mean for Russia’s leader.
By Marlise Simons, Charlie Savage and Anushka Patil, New York Times Service
The International Criminal Court on Friday issued an arrest warrant for war crimes for President Vladimir Putin and a second Russian official. Here’s a closer look at the court, the warrant, and what it could mean for Russia’s leader.
Why did the International Criminal Court issue the warrants?
The court says Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for the abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February last year. The court also issued a warrant for Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, who has been the public face of a Kremlin-sponsored program in which Ukrainian children and teenagers have been taken to Russia.
The court said in a statement “that there are reasonable grounds to believe that each suspect bears responsibility for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population and that of unlawful transfer of population from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.”
A New York Times investigation published in October identified several Ukrainian children who had been taken away under Russia’s systematic resettlement efforts. The children described a wrenching process of coercion, deception, and force. Russia has defended the transfers on humanitarian grounds.
Lawyers familiar with the ICC’s case recently said they expected prosecutors to proceed with the arrest warrants because there was a strong trail of public evidence. On Friday, the court said in a statement that it was mindful “that the conduct addressed in the present situation is allegedly ongoing, and that the public awareness of the warrants may contribute to the prevention of the further commission of crimes.”
What is the International Criminal Court?
The International Criminal Court was created two decades ago as a standing body to investigate war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity under a 1998 treaty known as the Rome Statute. Previously, the United Nations Security Council had established ad hoc tribunals to address atrocities in places such as the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.
The court is based in The Hague, a Dutch city that has long been a center for international law and justice.
Many democracies joined the International Criminal Court, including close American allies like Britain. But the United States has long kept its distance, fearing that the court might one day seek to prosecute American officials, and Russia is also not a member.
The Biden administration has been engaged in an internal dispute over whether to provide the court with evidence gathered by the U.S. intelligence community about Russian war crimes. Most of the administration favors transferring the evidence, according to people familiar with the internal deliberations, but the Pentagon has balked because it does not want to set a precedent that could pave the way for eventual prosecutions of Americans.
What does the warrant mean for Putin?
Human rights groups hailed the warrant as an important step toward ending impunity for Russian war crimes in Ukraine, but the likelihood of a trial while Putin remains in power appears slim, because the court cannot try defendants in absentia and Russia has said it will not surrender its own officials.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry quickly dismissed the warrants, noting that it is not a party to the court. Still, the warrant for Putin’s arrest deepens his isolation in the West and could limit his movements overseas. If he travels to a state that is party to the ICC, that country must arrest him, according to its obligations under international law.
“This makes Putin a pariah,” said Stephen Rapp, a former ambassador-at-large heading the Office of Global Criminal Justice in the U.S. State Department. “If he travels, he risks arrest. This never goes away.” And, he said, Russia cannot gain relief from sanctions without complying with the warrants.
“Either Putin is placed on trial in The Hague,” Rapp said, or “he is increasingly isolated, and dies with this hanging over his head.”
So Putin may never face trial for war crimes?
The court has no power to arrest sitting heads of state or bring them to trial, and instead must rely on other leaders and governments to act as its sheriffs around the world. A suspect who manages to evade capture may never have a hearing to confirm the charges.
However, late last year, a legal move complicated the issue. In November, the court’s prosecutor petitioned to move ahead with the confirmation of charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity against Joseph Kony, the Ugandan militant and founder of the Lord’s Resistance Army, even though he is not in custody and has been a fugitive for years. Kony, who transformed kidnapped children into soldiers, is accused of murder, cruel treatment, enslavement, rape, and attacks against a civilian population.
Khan’s petition amounts to a trial balloon, to see whether the court will agree that charges can be confirmed even if someone is not in custody. The decision is pending.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Source: Boston Globe
Andra Day, Ethel Cain, Ghostface Killa, More Lead New York’s SummerStage Season
Tesla set to report first-quarter earnings after the bell
Why this is perfect time to buy health-care stocks, one financial advisor says
Dortmund: Attempted murder in pathology – cleaning lady almost strangled to death
Grasshopper, vegan Asian restaurant in Allston, is closing
How to Follow the WNBA Draft If You’re Newly Obsessed With Women’s Basketball
How to Clear a Stuffy Nose Fast—And Get Back to Breathing Normally
This Easy Addition to Your Egg Muffins Will Double Your Protein at Breakfast
Learning to Swim as an Adult Feels Like Coming Home
17 Comforting Recipes to Bring to a Friend Who Is Grieving
Grasshopper, vegan Asian restaurant in Allston, is closing
Bon Jovi ‘Thank You, Goodnight’ Shows ‘High Stakes’ of Jon Bon Jovi’s Vocal Challenges [Exclusive]
Patriots’ Robert Kraft halts support for alma mater, Columbia University, amid pro-Palestine protests
If Trump goes to prison, the Secret Service goes, too
Kate Middleton Pulls Off an Impossible Miracle: Commentator
Trending
-
News22 hours ago
Fighting erosion on Long Island with low-tech solutions inspired by nature. Here’s what’s being done.
-
Auto24 hours ago
Rolls-Royce Is Trying to Bring Back White-Wall Tires
-
Wellness22 hours ago
8 Yoga Poses That’ll Help You Poop (After Class, Hopefully)
-
News23 hours ago
The Accidental Speaker
-
News23 hours ago
VW pro-union vote 1st step in changing the US South – Asia Times
-
News20 hours ago
Will Lionel Messi play on the turf at Gillette Stadium?
-
News20 hours ago
Columbia University has a long history of campus protests. Here’s a look back at some of them.
-
News10 hours ago
China closing in on laser-propelled fast, stealth subs – Asia Times