International Criminal Court Issues Arrest Warrant for Vladimir Putin

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a statement released on March 17.

The ICC alleges Putin is responsible for a number of war crimes, including the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.

The alleged crimes were committed since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the ICC said.

As second person, Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, was also included in the warrant. She is the commissioner for children’s rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation, and is also accused of the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children.

Russia has denied allegations of war crimes. Speaking on March 14, Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said Russia does not recognize the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Credit: International Criminal Court via Storyful