Putin Faces Arrest In 123 Countries

War
Post At: Jun 20/2024 10:50PM

This week, Russian President Vladimir Putin is visiting North Korea and Vietnam in efforts to bolster Russia's international ties, as relations in the West become increasingly fraught.

Although he is currently travelling in Southeast Asia, Putin is ultimately limited in the countries he can visit, due to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Newsweek has reached out to a representative of the Kremlin via email for comment.

The Context

In March 2023, the ICC issued arrest warrants for both Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's commissioner for children's rights. The warrants accuse Putin and Lvova-Belova of war crimes, specifically the unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia during the ongoing conflict between the two countries.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin speaks on stage during an event with Vietnam's President To Lam attended by the Vietnam Friendship Association and generations of Vietnamese alumni that studied in Russia at the Hanoi Opera House... Russia's President Vladimir Putin speaks on stage during an event with Vietnam's President To Lam attended by the Vietnam Friendship Association and generations of Vietnamese alumni that studied in Russia at the Hanoi Opera House in Hanoi on June 20, 2024. Manan VATSYAYANA/Getty Images Entertainment/GC Images

The ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber II found reasonable grounds to believe that Putin bore individual criminal responsibility for those crimes, either by directly committing the acts, collaborating with others, or failing to exercise control over civilian and military subordinates who carried out the acts.

The court issued the warrants under articles 8(2)(a)(vii) and 8(2)(b)(viii) of the Rome Statute, which govern war crimes related to the unlawful deportation and transfer of populations.

The arrest warrants place Putin at risk of detention in any of the ICC's 124 members if he steps onto their territory.

Members of The ICC

  1. Afghanistan
  2. Albania
  3. Andorra
  4. Antigua and Barbuda
  5. Argentina
  6. Armenia
  7. Australia
  8. Austria
  9. Bangladesh
  10. Barbados
  11. Belgium
  12. Belize
  13. Benin
  14. Bolivia
  15. Bosnia and Herzegovina
  16. Botswana
  17. Brazil
  18. Bulgaria
  19. Burkina Faso
  20. Cabo Verde
  21. Cambodia
  22. Canada
  23. Central African Republic
  24. Chad
  25. Chile
  26. Colombia
  27. Comoros
  28. Congo
  29. Cook Islands
  30. Costa Rica
  31. Côte d'Ivoire
  32. Croatia
  33. Cyprus
  34. Czech Republic
  35. Democratic Republic of the Congo
  36. Denmark
  37. Djibouti
  38. Dominica
  39. Dominican Republic
  40. Ecuador
  41. El Salvador
  42. Estonia
  43. Fiji
  44. Finland
  45. France
  46. Gabon
  47. Gambia
  48. Georgia
  49. Germany
  50. Ghana
  51. Greece
  52. Grenada
  53. Guatemala
  54. Guinea
  55. Guyana
  56. Honduras
  57. Hungary
  58. Iceland
  59. Ireland
  60. Italy
  61. Japan
  62. Jordan
  63. Kenya
  64. Kiribati
  65. Latvia
  66. Lesotho
  67. Liberia
  68. Liechtenstein
  69. Lithuania
  70. Luxembourg
  71. Madagascar
  72. Malawi
  73. Maldives
  74. Mali
  75. Malta
  76. Marshall Islands
  77. Mauritius
  78. Mexico
  79. Mongolia
  80. Montenegro
  81. Namibia
  82. Nauru
  83. Netherlands
  84. New Zealand
  85. Niger
  86. Nigeria
  87. North Macedonia
  88. Norway
  89. Panama
  90. Paraguay
  91. Peru
  92. Poland
  93. Portugal
  94. Republic of Korea
  95. Republic of Moldova
  96. Romania
  97. Saint Kitts and Nevis
  98. Saint Lucia
  99. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  100. Samoa
  101. San Marino
  102. Senegal
  103. Serbia
  104. Seychelles
  105. Sierra Leone
  106. Slovakia
  107. Slovenia
  108. South Africa
  109. Spain
  110. Suriname
  111. Sweden
  112. Switzerland
  113. Tajikistan
  114. Timor-Leste
  115. Trinidad and Tobago
  116. Tunisia
  117. Uganda
  118. United Kingdom
  119. United Republic of Tanzania
  120. Uruguay
  121. Vanuatu
  122. Venezuela
  123. Zambia

The ICC has also recognized the State of Palestine as a member since 2015.

Views

The United Nations has released a report which supports the findings of the ICC. U.S. President Joe Biden also welcomed the report, stating that Putin has "clearly committed war crimes," according to the BBC.

Putin does not face arrest in the U.S. as the country is not a member of the ICC, though Biden has said that the warrant "makes a very strong point."

In this photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un toast during a reception at the Mongnangwan Reception House in Pyongyang on June... In this photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un toast during a reception at the Mongnangwan Reception House in Pyongyang on June 19, 2024. VLADIMIR SMIRNOV/Getty Images, Canva Stock

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed thanks to the ICC for the decision to press charges against "state evil."

Moscow does not recognize the ICC's jurisdiction and therefore it is unlikely that Putin will face trial at the ICC.

According to a report from Reuters, Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the ICC's allegations were "outrageous and unacceptable," and dismissed the ICC as "null and void."

ICC prosecutors are also seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the country's defense minister, Yoav Gallant, over the Israel's conduct in Gaza.

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