MOSCOW: Comparing it to a ‘toilet paper’a spokesperson from the Foreign ministry of Russia has mentioned that the order held no meaning for the country as the nation had withdrawn from the ICC treaty in 2016.
Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the ministry of foreign affairs, said, “Russia is not an ICC member and bears no obligations under it. Russia does not cooperate with this body, and possible arrest coming from the International Court of Justice will be legally null and void for us.”
The International Criminal Court on Friday announced an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin. It accuses Putin of responsibility for the “unlawful deportation” and “unlawful transfer” of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia.
The Hague-based ICC said it had also issued a warrant against Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s presidential commissioner for children’s rights, on similar charges.
War-battered Ukraine welcomed the ICC announcement, with President Volodymyr Zelensky hailing the “historic decision.” Inspite of not being a member of the ICC, it has granted the court jurisdiction over its territory, and the ICC prosecutor has visited four times since opening an investigation a year ago.
According to official sources more than 16,000 Ukrainian children have been deported to Russia since the February 24, 2022 invasion, according to Kyiv, with many allegedly placed in institutions and foster homes.