Putin can’t travel to 123 countries after war crimes arrest warrant issued by International Criminal Court

The court, created in 2002 to judge the worst crimes committed in the world, has been investigating possible war crimes or crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine during the Russian offensive for more than a year. This Friday issued an arrest warrant against the Russian president as “suspected responsible” for the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children and their transfer from occupied areas to Russia, which constitutes a war crime under the treaty of this court known as Rome Statute.

The ICC pre-trial chamber also issued a second arrest warrant against the Russian politician Maria Lvova-Belova, Presidential Commissioner for the Rights of the Child in Russia, with the same accusation.

Both arrest warrants are the first of their kind issued by the ICC in the context of its investigation for possible war crimes committed by Russia in the conflict with Ukraine.

Neither Russia nor Ukraine are members of the ICC, but the kyiv government accepted the jurisdiction of the court and he is collaborating with Khan’s office so the prosecution of the Kremlin chief is possible.

In addition, the fact that Russia is not a member of that court does not prevent its president from being arrested: it is that the 123 countries that signed the Rome Statute are bound to carry out the mandates of arrest against Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova.

Of these, 33 are African States, 19 are Asia-Pacific States, 18 are from Eastern Europe, 28 from Latin America and the Caribbean, and 25 Western European and other States.

The Court does not has a police force own so it depends on international cooperation, but if Putin or his official travel to or fly over any of these 123 countries should be arrested.

After the order, Putin is practically isolated. Although he has not made large world tours since the pandemic and limited his journeys to nearby territories -and friends- now the world is getting smaller and smaller.