ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Russia’s President and Commissioner for Children’s Rights

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova on March 17 for their alleged war crimes relating to the treatment of children in Ukrainian occupied territory starting from “at least” the beginning of the Ukraine War in February 2022. The March 17 arrest warrants are the first the ICC has issued for alleged war crimes in relation to the war in Ukraine. The ICC made the existence of the warrants public “in the interests of justice,” with the recognition that given the ongoing war in Ukraine, “public awareness of the warrants may contribute to the prevention of the further commission of crimes.”

The ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber II issued the warrants under the Rome Statute after agreeing with the ICC Prosecution’s February 2023 application. That application accused Putin and Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova of bearing responsibility for “the war crime of unlawful deportation of population and that of unlawful transfer of population from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, in prejudice of Ukrainian children.” The Chamber believes that there are reasonable grounds to believe that both bear individual criminal responsibility for these crimes.

Neither Russia nor Ukraine are state parties to the Rome Statute, though Ukraine has accepted ad hoc jurisdiction in the past. Russia withdrew from the ICC in 2016.

Read the text of the ICC’s press release, which describes the contents of the arrest warrants, below:

Today, 17 March 2023, Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court (“ICC” or “the Court”) issued warrants of arrest for two individuals in the context of the situation in Ukraine: Mr Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and Ms Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova.

Mr Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, born on 7 October 1952, President of the Russian Federation, is allegedly responsible for 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). The crimes were allegedly committed in Ukrainian occupied territory at least from 24 February 2022. There are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crimes, (i) for having committed the acts directly, jointly with others and/or through others (article 25(3)(a) of the Rome Statute), and (ii) for his failure to exercise control properly over civilian and military subordinates who committed the acts, or allowed for their commission, and who were under his effective authority and control, pursuant to superior responsibility (article 28(b) of the Rome Statute).

Ms Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, born on 25 October 1984, Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Office of the  President of the Russian Federation, is allegedly responsible for 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). The crimes were allegedly committed in Ukrainian occupied territory at least from 24 February 2022. There are reasonable grounds to believe that Ms Lvova-Belova bears individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crimes, for having committed the acts directly, jointly with others and/or through others (article 25(3)(a) of the Rome Statute).

Pre-Trial Chamber II considered, based on the Prosecution’s applications of 22 February 2023, that there are reasonable grounds to believe that each suspect bears responsibility for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population and that of unlawful transfer of population from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, in prejudice of Ukrainian children.

The Chamber considered that the warrants are secret in order to protect victims and witnesses and also to safeguard the investigation. Nevertheless, mindful that the conduct addressed in the present situation is allegedly ongoing, and that the public awareness of the warrants may contribute to the prevention of the further commission of crimes, the Chamber considered that it is in the interests of justice to authorise the Registry to publicly disclose the existence of the warrants, the name of the suspects, the crimes for which the warrants are issued, and the modes of liability as established by the Chamber.

The abovementioned warrants of arrests were issued pursuant to the applications submitted by the Prosecution on 22 February 2023.