Press Release
on the organization of the debate “Arrest warrant for Putin: effects for Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and Europe”. Debates series held by the news agency IPN in its conference room with the support of the German Foundation “Hanns Seidel”
Held on 21 March 2023, Debate No. 278 brought together: Ukraine’s Ambassador to Moldova Marko Shevchenko and Igor Boțan, IPN project’s standing expert.
According to the permanent expert of IPN’s project Igor Boțan, the International Criminal Court is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal seated in The Hague, the Netherlands. The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court is the treaty that established the International Criminal Court (ICC). This statute was adopted in a diplomatic conference in Rome on July 17, 1998 and took effect on July 1, 2002.“The International Criminal Court was established to investigate, prosecute and try individuals accused of committing the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole, namely the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression. The given crimes have no statute of limitations and this is very important. As the Court’s competence covers private individuals only, not states, it can investigate and prosecute persons for the four types of crimes only when the states are unable to do this or intentionally opposes doing it,” noted Igor Boțan.
According to the expert, the ICC may prosecute crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes when the allegedly responsible individuals are nationals of one of the States parties to the Rome Statute or the crime was committed on the territory of a State Party, or the State involved submits a declaration authorizing the ICC’s jurisdiction with respect to the alleged crime. “However, the Rome Statute stipulates exceptions and Ukraine was this way able to go to this Court. And not only Ukraine, but also another 39 states that signed and ratified the Rome Statute. This way, the process was launched and is absolutely legal and legitimate,” stated Igor Boțan.
Ukraine’s Ambassador to Moldova Marko Shevchenko said the arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin refers to cases of kidnapping and deportation of Ukrainian children from the territories occupied by the Russian Federation during the war against Ukraine.
“The crimes are huge. The proofs collected by the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine are many in number. We have case files concerning 16,000 chidlren kidnapped from their parents. These files were submitted to the International Criminal Court in The Hague by the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine and the decision was taken based on them,” stated the diplomat.
According to Marko Shevchenko, this warrant refers to the kidnapping and deportation of Ukrainian children, but not only to this. The deportation of children could be proven easier as there is sufficient evidence for taking such decisions. More arrest warrants should be yet issued. Other crimes and atrocities committed in Ukraine also remain in the focus of the International Criminal Court.
The public debate entitled “Arrest warrant for Putin: effects for Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and Europe?” was the 278th installment of IPN’s project “Developing Political Culture through Public Debates” that is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation of Germany.
The Agency published 4 news stories on the debate (see the English version of www.ipn.md): on 21.03.23, „ Arrest warrant for Putin: effects for Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and Europe. IPN debate”; https://www.ipn.md/en/arrest-warrant-for-putin-effects-for-russia-ukraine-moldova-and-8004_1095892.html; “Arrest warrant for Putin. Marko Shevchenko: Force of law beats right of force”; https://www.ipn.md/en/arrest-warrant-for-putin-marko-shevchenko-force-of-law-beats-8004_1095901.html; „ Igor Boțan: Arrest warrant for Putin eliminated any possibility of political and legal agreement”;- https://www.ipn.md/en/igor-botan-arrest-warrant-for-putin-eliminated-any-possibility-of-8004_1095896.html; „ Igor Boțan: A new iron curtain will fall between civilized countries and Russia with its allies”; https://www.ipn.md/en/igor-botan-a-new-iron-curtain-will-fall-between-civilized-8004_1095897.html.
Valeriu Vasilica, director of IPN