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World Criminal CourtCan Putin still travel to Switzerland now?
Could Vladimir Putin be arrested soon? The arrest warrant for the Kremlin chief raises many questions.
This man is behind the issuance of the arrest warrant: Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan filed the application.
AFP
However, it is unlikely that Putin will be arrested. However, his trips abroad will be severely restricted.
AFP
That’s what it’s about
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Vladimir Putin is said to be personally responsible for the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
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At present, this arrest warrant has a primarily symbolic meaning.
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Putin will only have to be more careful when traveling abroad.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. The Kremlin describes the ICC arrest warrant as “legally void” and “meaningless”. Is that correct?
Could Putin be arrested now?
Rather not. The International Criminal Court has no police power of its own to arrest the President. Court President Piotr Hofmanski announced that the arrest warrant would have to be enforced by the international community. The court can only dismiss them.
It is also currently illusory to think that Russia would hand over its own president to court. But if there were regime change in Russia, Putin could one day be extradited by his own countrymen.
So this is the only way to arrest Putin?
No. There is a second option: traveling abroad. If Vladimir Putin visits one of the 123 countries that are contracting parties to the International Criminal Court, he could be arrested and transferred to The Hague.
What does that mean for the Russian President?
That his participation in summit meetings will be very limited from now on.
Will he be able to travel to Switzerland?
No, Switzerland has accepted the International Criminal Court since October 12, 2001.
But if there were peace talks in Geneva?
The International Criminal Court and the United Nations are separate organizations, but according to UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ spokesman Stephane Dujarric, it seems questionable whether the Russian president could fly to possible UN-led peace talks in Geneva, for example.
What penalties will Vladimir Putin face if he goes to court?
The warrants are a first step towards a trial. However, previous proceedings show that it is difficult to bring high-level representatives to court. In more than 20 years, there have only been five convictions for so-called core crimes. None of the convicts are top representatives of a power structure.
Should it come to that, however, the ICC can impose life imprisonment depending on the seriousness of the crime.
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