Zelensky praises ‘historic’ decision to issue arrest warrant for Putin

Yesterday the Hague-based ICC said it was issuing the warrant for the arrest of the Russian leader over the alleged abduction and deportation of thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia.

The charges were immediately dismissed by the Kremlin- which does not recognise the ICC- as ‘legally void’.

But human rights groups have said the move effectively makes Putin a ‘wanted man’.

In his nightly address to the nation, Zelensky praised the move, and called it a ‘historic decision, from which historic responsibility will begin’.

‘Today, we have a fundamental decision of international justice. In a case which has a true prospect, The International Criminal Court has issued a warrant of arrest for Putin,’ he said.

‘The head of the terrorist state and another Russian official have officially become suspects in a war crime. The deportation of Ukrainian children – the illegal transfer of thousands of our children to the territory of the terrorist state.

‘Over 16,000 cases of forced deportation of Ukrainian children by the occupier have already been recorded in criminal proceedings investigated by our law enforcement officers.

‘But the real, full number of deportees may be much higher.’

He added: ‘It would be impossible to commit such a criminal operation without the order of the top leader of the terrorist state.

‘Separating children from their families, depriving them of any opportunity to contact their relatives, hiding children on the territory of Russia, throwing them in remote regions – all this is an obvious state policy of Russia, state decisions and state evil. Which begins precisely with the top official of this state.’

The warrant for Mr Putin and another for Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, relate to the alleged trafficking of children across the border into Russia. 

Source of data and images: metro