Putin fails to attend Pope Francis' funeral

One of the main reasons behind this boycott was the fear of a possible arrest due to the international order issued against him by the International Criminal Court (GJNP) in March 2023.

In practice, however, the Russian president risked very little. The Italian Ministry of Justice has taken no steps to implement The Hague tribunal's order.

The arrest warrant has remained blocked in the Via Arenaula offices and has not been forwarded to Rome's Attorney General, a procedure needed to make it valid for execution. This has turned the document into a “piece of paper” without legal effect.

The previous contender, with the arrest and release of Libyan General Osama Najeem Almasri in January of this year, has further stepped up doubts about the deliberate failure to comply with orders from Italy. In that case, Italian authorities failed to make a clear decision and, as a result, Almasri returned home on an official flight, despite charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Now, in this case, Italian Justice Minister Carlo Nodio faces an investigation by the Court of Ministers, along with Prime Minister Giorgia Melon and several other senior officials for failing to carry out official office.

A deliberate political decision?

According to reports, blocking the JNP's order to Putin is a deliberate political election. The Italian government has declared that heads of state and governments enjoy diplomatic immunity as long as they are on duty a stance contrary to the interpretation of The Hague tribunal, which does not recognise immunity for war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide, the TCC reports.

In addition to Putin, several senior Russian officials, including Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova and former Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, are also on the JNP list. But even these orders have not been implemented in Italy.

Serious charges against Putin

The Russian president is accused of illegal deportation and detention of Ukrainian children to Russia ʹ acts classified as war crimes according to Rome's Statut, which established the JNP. For other officials, the charges are linked to rocket attacks against civilian infrastructure in Ukraine during the 1920s,2023s.

Meanwhile, Italy continues not to comply with the requirements of the International Criminal Court, jeopardising relations with The Hague and its reputation in the international arena of justice. /Periscope