The Latvian politician pointed out that this is an important decision, because there have been only a few arrest warrants issued for the head of a country. According to the president, this is an extremely important step that shows that the international community values international law.
“Such actions of Russia – attacking a sovereign state – cannot be tolerated. STK investigates war crimes, including the deportation of children, for which this warrant has also been issued, however, it is necessary to create a special tribunal to punish crimes of aggression, over which STK has no jurisdiction,” Levits said. adding that the warrant issued by the STK will strengthen the movement to establish an “ad hoc” international tribunal.
LETA already wrote that the ICC has issued arrest warrants for Russian President Putin and children’s rights defender Maria Lvova-Belova for the deportation of Ukrainian children.
“The President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, born on October 7, 1952, is responsible for war crimes – illegal deportation of residents (children) and illegal transfer of residents (children) from the occupied territories of Ukraine to the territory of the Russian Federation. The crimes were most likely committed in the occupied territory of Ukraine at least since February 24, 2022. There is reason to believe that Mr. Putin is individually criminally responsible for the above-mentioned crimes,” says the ICC website.
An arrest warrant for Lviv-Belova, the Russian children’s law enforcement agency, has also been issued for similar accusations.
Russia is not a member of the ICC and it is unclear how the ICC plans to enforce the warrant. Ukraine is also not a member of the ICC, but Kyiv has accepted the court’s jurisdiction and is cooperating with its prosecutor’s office.
