The International Criminal Court said Friday that it has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.
It was the first time the global court has issued a warrant against a leader of one of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.
The ICC said in a statement that Putin 害羞草研究所渋s allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of (children) and that of unlawful transfer of (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.害羞草研究所�
The move was immediately dismissed by Moscow 害羞草研究所� and welcomed by Ukraine as a major breakthrough.
Its practical implications, however, could be limited as the chances of Putin facing trial at the ICC are highly unlikely because Moscow does not recognize the court害羞草研究所檚 jurisdiction or extradite its nationals.
But the moral condemnation will likely stain the Russian leader for the rest of his life 害羞草研究所� and in the more immediate future whenever he seeks to attend an international summit in a nation bound to arrest him.
害羞草研究所淪o Putin might go to China, Syria, Iran, his 害羞草研究所� few allies, but he just won害羞草研究所檛 travel to the rest of the world and won害羞草研究所檛 travel to ICC member states who he believes would 害羞草研究所� arrest him,害羞草研究所� said Adil Ahmad Haque, an expert in international law and armed conflict at Rutgers University.
Others agreed. 害羞草研究所淰ladimir Putin will forever be marked as a pariah globally. He has lost all his political credibility around the world. Any world leader who stands by him will be shamed as well,害羞草研究所� David Crane, a former international prosecutor, told The Associated Press.
The court also issued a warrant for the arrest of Maria Lvova-Belova, the commissioner for Children害羞草研究所檚 Rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation. The AP reported on her involvement in the abduction of Ukrainian orphans in October, in the first investigation to follow the process all the way to Russia, relying on dozens of interviews and documents.
ICC President Piotr Hofmanski said in a video statement that while the ICC害羞草研究所檚 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 do so.
The ICC can impose a maximum sentence of life imprisonment 害羞草研究所渨hen justified by the extreme gravity of the crime,害羞草研究所� according to its founding treaty, the Rome Statute, that established it as a permanent court of last resort to prosecute political leaders and other key perpetrators of the world害羞草研究所檚 worst atrocities 害羞草研究所� war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
Still, the chances of Putin or Lvova-Belova facing trial remain extremely remote, as Moscow does not recognize the court害羞草研究所檚 jurisdiction 害羞草研究所� a position it vehemently reaffirmed Friday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia doesn害羞草研究所檛 recognize the ICC and considers its decisions 害羞草研究所渓egally void.害羞草研究所� He called the court害羞草研究所檚 move 害羞草研究所渙utrageous and unacceptable.害羞草研究所�
Peskov refused to comment when asked if Putin would avoid making trips to countries where he could be arrested on the ICC害羞草研究所檚 warrant.
Ukraine害羞草研究所檚 human rights chief, Dmytro Lubinets, has said that based on data from the country害羞草研究所檚 National Information Bureau, 16,226 children were deported. Ukraine has managed to bring back 308 children.
Lvova-Belova, who was also implicated in the warrants, reacted with dripping sarcasm. 害羞草研究所淚t is great that the international community has appreciated the work to help the children of our country, that we do not leave them in war zones, that we take them out, we create good conditions for them, that we surround them with loving, caring people,害羞草研究所� she said.
Ukrainian officials were jubilant at the move.
In his nightly address to the nation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it a 害羞草研究所渉istoric decision, from which historic responsibility will begin.害羞草研究所�
Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine害羞草研究所檚 U.N. ambassador, recalled that on the night of Russia害羞草研究所檚 invasion, 害羞草研究所淚 said at the Security Council meeting that there is no purgatory for war criminals, they go straight to hell. Today, I would like to say that those of them who will remain alive after the military defeat of Russia will have to make a stop in The Hague on their way to hell.害羞草研究所�
In Washington, President Joe Biden called the ICC害羞草研究所檚 decision 害羞草研究所渏ustified,害羞草研究所� telling reporters as he left the White House for his Delaware home that Putin 害羞草研究所渃learly committed war crimes.害羞草研究所� While the US does not recognize the court either, Biden said it 害羞草研究所渕akes a very strong point害羞草研究所� to call out the Russian leader害羞草研究所檚 actions in ordering the invasion.
Olga Lopatkina, a Ukrainian mother who struggled for months to reclaim her foster children who were deported to an institution run by Russian loyalists, welcomed news of the arrest warrant. 害羞草研究所淓veryone must be punished for their crimes,害羞草研究所� she said in a message exchange with the AP.
While Ukraine is also not a member of the global court, it has granted it jurisdiction over its territory and ICC prosecutor Karim Khan has visited four times since opening an investigation a year ago.
Besides Russia and Ukraine, the United States and China are not members of the 123-member ICC.
The ICC said its pre-trial chamber found 害羞草研究所渞easonable grounds害羞草研究所� that Putin 害羞草研究所渂ears individual criminal responsibility害羞草研究所� for the child abductions 害羞草研究所渇or having committed the acts directly, jointly with others and/or through others害羞草研究所� and for failing to 害羞草研究所渆xercise control properly over civilian and military subordinates who committed the acts.害羞草研究所�
During a visit this month, ICC prosecutor Khan said he went to a care home for children 2 kilometers (just over a mile) from front lines in southern Ukraine.
害羞草研究所淭he drawings pinned on the wall 害羞草研究所� spoke to a context of love and support that was once there,害羞草研究所� he said in a statement. 害羞草研究所淏ut this home was empty, a result of alleged deportation of children from Ukraine to the Russian Federation or their unlawful transfer to other parts of the temporarily occupied territories.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淎s I noted to the United Nations Security Council last September, these alleged acts are being investigated by my office as a priority. Children cannot be treated as the spoils of war,害羞草研究所� Khan said.
And while Russia rejected the allegations and warrants, others said the ICC action will have an important impact.
害羞草研究所淭he ICC has made Putin a wanted man and taken its first step to end the impunity that has emboldened perpetrators in Russia害羞草研究所檚 war against Ukraine for far too long,害羞草研究所� said Balkees Jarrah, associate international justice director at Human Rights Watch. 害羞草研究所淭he warrants send a clear message that giving orders to commit, or tolerating, serious crimes against civilians may lead to a prison cell in The Hague.害羞草研究所�
Crane, who indicted Liberian President Charles Taylor 20 years ago for crimes in Sierra Leone, said dictators and tyrants around the world 害羞草研究所渁re now on notice that those who commit international crimes will be held accountable.害羞草研究所�
Taylor was eventually detained and put on trial at a special court in the Netherlands. He was convicted and sentenced to 50 years害羞草研究所� imprisonment.
On Thursday, a U.N.-backed inquiry cited Russian attacks against civilians in Ukraine, including systematic torture and killing in occupied regions, among potential issues that amount to war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity.
The sweeping investigation also found crimes committed against Ukrainians on Russian territory, including deported Ukrainian children who were prevented from reuniting with their families, a 害羞草研究所渇iltration害羞草研究所� system aimed at singling out Ukrainians for detention, and torture and inhumane detention conditions.
On Friday, the ICC put the face of Putin on the child abduction allegations.
害羞草研究所斺赌斺赌�
Casert reported from Brussels. AP writers Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv, Ukraine Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington and Sarah El Deeb in Beirut contributed.
害羞草研究所斺赌斺赌� Follow AP害羞草研究所檚 coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
By Mike Corder And Raf Casert
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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