ICC Issues Arrest Warrant For Putin Over Russia-Ukraine War

The International Criminal Court (ICC) judges issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.

It was issued over allegedly committing war crimes in Ukraine.

The ICC said it had also issued a warrant against Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's presidential commissioner for children's rights, on similar charges.

The ICC said in a statement; "Today, pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal 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.

"Putin 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."

It added; "There are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crimes.

"Putin was allegedly responsible both directly by committing the acts and for failure to exercise control properly over civilian and military subordinates who committed the acts, or allowed for their commission."

The ICC said the crimes dated from February 24, 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine.