International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant for Putin

In the court's statement, the warrant has also been issued for Maria Lvova-Belova, Russian child rights official who allegedly heads the expulsion of Ukrainian children to Russia.

Both are suspected that “have committed their own works, jointly with other persons or through other persons”, the court reported.

It also said Putin has failed “to exercise proper control over civilian and military subordinates performing the works, or to allow them to perform”. According to the court, the subordinates were “under his effective control [Putin], in line with superior responsibility”.

“has reason to believe that each suspect is responsible for the war crimes of illegal population expulsion and illegal population transfer from Ukraine's conquered areas to the Russian Federation, with regard to Ukrainian children”, the International Criminal Court said in the declaration issued on 17 March.

“Historical decision for Ukraine”

Ukraine's attorney-general, Andriy Costin, said the International Criminal Court's decision, headquartered in The Hague, is the <x0historic “> ruling”.

“From now on, the Russian president has the official status of the suspect for committing an international crime”, he said through a statement.

This is the historic decision for Ukraine and for the entire system of international law”.

Russia: House arrest warrants don't matter to us

Responding to the arrest warrant against Putin, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said this arrest warrant “does not matter”.

“The decisions of the International Criminal Court are of no importance to our state, including legal aspect”, Maria Zakharova said through a post in the telegram.

“Russia is not a party to Rome's status of the International Criminal Court and there is no obligation under this status. Russia does not cooperate with this body, and possible arrests coming from the International Criminal Court will be invalid for us”.

Despite numerous evidence, Russia has repeatedly denied that it has committed atrocities since it began its conquest of the neighbouring state, Ukraine, on February 24, 2022.

Lvova-Belova, who is presidential commissionary on children's rights, is believed to have been working directly under Putin's order and according to American officials, has overseen the expulsion of <x0);mira” Ukrainian children to Russia.

“Lvova-Belova's efforts, separately include the forced adoption of Ukrainian children into Russian families, the so-called patriotic education of Ukrainian children, legislative changes to speed up granting Russian citizenship to Ukrainian children and the deliberate departure of Ukrainian children from Russian forces”, the US State Department said on September 15th last year, when it placed Lvova-Belova on the American sanctions list.

HRW: First step to end impunity

Human Rights Watch, which has documented the transfer of Ukrainian civilians and named these actions as a serious “violation of war laws that constitute war crimes and potentially crimes against humanity”, said the warrant to arrest Putin “is the first step to end the impunity that has long encouraged the Russian carrier against Ukraine<3>.

“The arrest sends a clear message that granting orders to commit or tolerate serious crimes against civilians could lead to prisons in The Hague. The warrants are a wake-up call for others who have committed violations or concealed them, that their day of appearing before the tribunal could come, regardless of the position or rank of military standing that have”, Balkees Jarrah, director of international justice at HRW, said.