Putin ‘could be charged’ for war crimes in Ukraine

Inna Sovsun: Putin has stolen a year of my life

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Vladimir Putin could theoretically be charged for his war crimes in Russia as the International Criminal Court (ICC) reportedly seeks arrest warrants against Russians who have had a hand in the violence. Two war crimes cases have been brought to the court by Karim Khan, the prosecutor.

He is expected to ask a pre-trial panel to approve the arrest warrants for the mass abduction of children and attacks on civilian infrastructure.

Investigators have claimed that Russia has abducted children and sent them to re-education camps.

Missile strikes on civilian infrastructure, meanwhile, have been a constant since the start of the invasion in February 2022.

At this stage, it is unclear who could be targeted with the arrest warrants.

But, as the Telegraph reports, Russian President Putin could be charged because the ICC does not give immunity to heads of state when it comes to allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide.

However, the prospect of Putin being tried for his crimes is unlikely as things stand because the ICC does not try defendants in absentia.

Russia has repeatedly denied allegations of war crimes, but Ukraine believes it has gathered enough evidence to prove that many have been carried out.

In January, Ukraine’s top presidential advisor for children’s rights and rehabilitation alleged that nearly 14,000 children have been abducted by Russian troops and deported to Russia.

Daria Herasymchuk also said that Russian troops killed 456 children and injured nearly 900 since the start of the invasion.

He continued: “We managed to identify and verify the data of at least 13,899 children who were abducted and deported by the Russian army, and, unfortunately, we can say that only 125 (of them) we managed to return home.”

Researchers at Yale University recently released a study that claimed Russia had held at least 6,000 Ukrainian children at sites in the annexed Crimean peninsula.

The study also identified at least 43 camps and facilities where children are allegedly being held.

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Last year, following Russia’s retreat from Kyiv, mass graves were found in the city of Bucha – in the Kyiv oblast.

Local authorities said 458 bodies were recovered from the town, including nine children.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights documented the unlawful killings, including summary executions, of at least 73 civilians in Bucha.

Photographic evidence also showed corpses of civilians with their hands tied behind their backs having been shot at point-blank range. This was seen as proof that there were executions of civilians.

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