ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Deportation and Transfer of Ukrainian Children

The International Criminal Court (ICC) today issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation and Maria Lvova-Belova, Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation. They are charged with the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation (under articles 8(2)(a)(vii) and 8(2)(b)(viii) of the Rome Statute).

ICC prosecutor Karim Kahn stated today:

“Incidents identified by my office include the deportation of at least hundreds of children taken from orphanages and children’s care homes…My office alleges that these acts, amongst others, demonstrate an intention to permanently remove these children from their own country…We must ensure that those responsible for alleged crimes are held accountable and that children are returned to their families and communities … We cannot allow children to be treated as if they are the spoils of war.”

Of all the war crimes committed to date by Russia in Ukraine, the first to result in arrest warrants from the ICC is for the abduction of Ukrainian children from occupied regions. We commend the officials at the ICC for standing up for the rights of children.

We should all read this sobering report by Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab. The report details how Russia has held at least 6,000 Ukrainian children in a network of 43 camps over the past year. Some of these children were subjected to pro-Russian “re-education.” Some were put up for adoption within Russia. Some of the children have severe mental and physical disabilities. It churns the stomach.

Putin joins former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir as the third sitting head of state to have an arrest warrant issued by the ICC. We look forward to his apprehension, as well as the arrest of Mrs Lvova-Belova, and their trial at the Hague. It cannot happen soon enough.

At the Ukraine Medical Relief Fund, we regard this to be a critical pediatric health issue, and we will be following developments closely.