Putin Should Have Been Arrested in Mongolia – ICC

The ICC has launched an investigation into this matter, Orda.kz reports .

A month and a half after Vladimir Putin visited Mongolia, the International Criminal Court made an official statement. According to it, the Mongolian authorities violated the Rome Statute, signed by the country and by which the ICC issued an arrest warrant for the Russian president.

Today, 24 October 2024, Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court (“ICC” or “the Court”) found that, by failing to arrest Mr Putin while he was on its territory and surrender him to the Court, Mongolia has failed to comply with the Court’s request to cooperate in this regard contrary to the provisions of the Rome Statute (“Statute”), thereby preventing the Court from exercising its functions and powers within the meaning of article 87(7) of the Statute. In view of the seriousness of Mongolia’s failure to cooperate with the Court, the Chamber deemed it necessary to refer the matter to the Assembly of States Parties, the ICC said in a statement.

The court emphasizes that Putin's immunity did not play a role in the case of the ICC warrant since they are a supranational organization.

States Parties and those accepting the Court’s jurisdiction are duty-bound to arrest and surrender individuals subject to ICC warrants, regardless of official position or nationality,  the court also states.

The court has opened proceedings regarding Mongolia's refusal to arrest Vladimir Putin, which the Assembly of States Parties will consider to the Rome Statute. The ICC did not specify how this might affect Mongolia itself.

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin in March 2023. The court accuses the Russian president of deporting children from the occupied territories of Ukraine.

Original Author: Igor Ulitin