NEWS
ICC Issues Arrest Warrant For Putin
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken the unprecedented step of issuing arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Lvova-Belova.
The warrants are related to allegations of war crimes committed by Russia, including the forced taking of Ukrainian children.
The court said in a news release on Friday the two are “allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.”
The move by the Hague’s criminal court has marked a significant step by requesting the arrest of a sitting world leader, though analysts admit that the chances of actually arresting President Putin are slim.
However, officials in Moscow were quick to point out that Russia has never signed on as a party to the ICC and have therefore dismissed the charges outright.
“The very question itself is outrageous and unacceptable,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “Russia, like a number of other states, does not recognize the jurisdiction of this court, and therefore any of its decisions are insignificant for the Russian Federation from a legal viewpoint.”
Andriy Kostin, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General, has hailed the criminal court’s decision as “historic.”
Despite Ukraine not being a party to the ICC, Kostin emphasized that the government has cooperated with the court on criminal investigations within its territory.
He also disclosed that his office provided the ICC with over 1,000 pages of documents regarding the alleged forcible deportation of children to Russia.
Last month, a report by Yale University researchers and the U.S. State Department alleged that the Russian government is operating a systematic network of custody centers holding thousands of Ukrainian children.
While Russian officials have acknowledged the arrival of Ukrainian children in the country, they have claimed that the centers are part of a large humanitarian program designed to care for abandoned or war-traumatized orphans.
ICC President Piotr Hofmanski said the judges decided to make these warrants public to try to deter further crimes.
“It is forbidden by international law for occupying powers to transfer civilians from the territories where they live to other territories,” he said. “Children enjoy special protection under the Geneva Convention.”
“I hoped (this would happen), but I didn’t know it would be this quick,” said Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab.
“This is a stunning move by the court, which has moved right to the top of the Russian state,” said David Bosco, author of Rough Justice: The International Criminal Court in a World of Power Politics.
However, Bosco cautioned, “The arrest warrant won’t have immediate implications because no trial can move forward without Putin being in custody and there’s no chance of that happening in the near future.”
While the possibility of trying Putin remains a difficult task, human rights advocates have welcomed the news as a major step forward.
“This is a big day for the many victims of crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine since 2014,” Human Rights Watch said in a statement. “With these arrest warrants, the ICC has made Putin a wanted man and taken its first step to end the impunity that has emboldened perpetrators in Russia’s war against Ukraine for far too long.”
Amnesty International has called on countries to deny safe haven for Putin and Lvova-Belova by arresting them and handing them over to the ICC.
The organization also predicted that further arrest warrants may be issued for Russian leaders as the investigations into war crimes in Ukraine continue to develop.
Despite Russia’s vehement rejection of allegations of war crimes committed by its forces in Ukraine, the country has made little secret of its relocation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
The Russian government has presented the move as a noble humanitarian effort, while critics have raised concerns about the conditions in which the children are being kept.
In February, President Putin hosted a meeting at the Kremlin with Lvova-Belova, the children’s rights commissioner, during which they openly discussed Russian adoption programs for Ukrainian children in occupied territories of Ukraine, including Lvova-Belova’s own teenage son.
A transcript of the conversation is posted on the Kremlin’s website.
“You also adopted a child from Mariupol, is that right?” asked Putin.
“Yes, Vladimir Vladimirovich,” Lvova-Belova responded, using the Russian leader’s patronymic. “Thanks to you.”
Ukraine’s decision to halt adoptions after Russia’s invasion of the country is a significant admission. International children’s rights groups have argued that countries have a legal obligation under international law to prohibit adoptions of Ukrainian children during wartime.
The Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, has issued a stern warning against any attempt to establish a Sharia Court in the state without legal authorization.
This comes in response to the circulation of a digital notice announcing the launch of such a court.
In a statement personally signed on Tuesday, Governor Abiodun emphasized that Sharia Courts cannot be legally established by individuals or groups outside the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.
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He reaffirmed that the state government only recognizes courts constituted through the legal framework of the Constitution and state laws.
“No Sharia Court is authorized to operate within Ogun State,” Abiodun stated. “The courts legally empowered to adjudicate disputes in the state are Magistrates’ Courts, High Court, Customary Courts, Customary Court of Appeal, Federal High Court, National Industrial Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court.”
He further clarified that Sharia law does not form part of the legal framework in Ogun State and warned against the operation of unauthorized courts or assemblies.
According to the Governor, the state government respects the rights of individuals to practice their religion and apply their faith in personal matters.
However, this freedom does not extend to the creation of institutions or courts without proper legal backing.
Governor Abiodun directed all individuals involved in the creation or operation of the illegal Sharia Court to immediately cease all activities and disband the entity.
He also urged the public to disregard any summons, documents, or communications from the unauthorized court and to report such incidents to the authorities.
“The Ogun State Government will uphold the rule of law, ensure respect for the legal and judicial framework within the state, and prevent any breakdown of law and order,” the statement concluded.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has returned to Abuja after attending the Africa Heads of State Energy Summit held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The presidential aircraft, 001, landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at 7:40 pm on Tuesday, according to the State House media office.
The President was received by top government officials, including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
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The summit, organized by the Tanzanian government in partnership with the African Development Bank Group and the World Bank, centered on advancing “Mission 300,” an initiative designed to provide electricity access to 300 million Africans by 2030.
During the event, African leaders, private sector representatives, development partners, and civil society organizations discussed strategies to overcome the continent’s energy challenges.
Discussions focused on renewable energy, energy efficiency, and accelerating energy access in underserved regions, with an emphasis on mobilizing private sector investment.
On the opening day, ministers from participating nations presented their national energy strategies, known as compacts, which outlined their plans to achieve universal energy access within five years.
The summit culminated in the endorsement of the Dar es Salaam Energy Declaration by Heads of State, including President Tinubu, which charts a unified path for achieving the goals of Mission 300.
In his address, Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s leadership role in Africa’s energy sector and emphasized the country’s commitment to universal energy access.
He highlighted Nigeria’s ongoing clean energy initiatives and detailed its strategy for integrated energy delivery across the continent.
“Nigeria remains committed to achieving universal access to energy and will continue to champion solutions that integrate renewable energy and enhance efficiency across Africa,” Tinubu said.
The President was accompanied by key members of his administration, including the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu; and Special Adviser on Energy, Olu Verheijen.
An Air Busan passenger plane caught fire at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea on Tuesday, forcing the evacuation of 176 people on board, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The incident occurred at around 10:30 p.m. local time (1330 GMT) as the aircraft, which was bound for Hong Kong, ignited near its tail section.
A total of 169 passengers and seven flight attendants were evacuated using inflatable slides, Yonhap reported.
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One person sustained injuries during the evacuation, but no further details about the injury or the fire’s cause were immediately available.
South Korea’s Busan fire authorities were not reachable for comment, according to AFP.
This incident comes just weeks after South Korea’s worst aviation disaster in decades.
Recall that on December 29, a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 crash-landed and exploded after striking a concrete barrier at Muan International Airport.
The crash killed 179 of the 181 passengers and crew on board.
According to Flightradar24, Air Busan’s fleet is composed entirely of Airbus aircraft.
The cause of Tuesday’s fire is under investigation.
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