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The United States says the 123 member states of the ICC must arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo/REUTERS
WASHINGTON – Government United States of America (US) said member states of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which number 123, should arrest the Russian President Vladimir Putin when entering these countries.
This was conveyed by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a Senate session on Wednesday.
The ICC, based in The Hague, issued an arrest warrant for Putin on Friday after a court concluded that the Kremlin leader was allegedly responsible for the war crime of the illegal deportation of children from occupied territory in Ukraine to the territory of the Russian Federation.
The ICC launched an investigation into alleged war crimes committed in Ukraine in March 2022 after nearly 40 of the tribunal’s member states submitted requests.
Blinken discussed the warrant for Putin’s arrest while appearing before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on States, Foreign Operations and Related Programs on Wednesday. He faced questions from South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham about whether the US would arrest Putin if he visited.
“As you know, we’re not actually party to the ICC, so I don’t want to get into that hypothesis,” Blinken said in response to Graham’s question.
“I don’t think (Putin) has any plans to travel here soon,” he said, as quoted by Newsweek, Thursday (23/3/2023).
Graham then asked Secretary of State Blinken if he would encourage America’s European allies to arrest Putin. Blinken replied: “I think anyone who is a party to the (ICC) court, and has an obligation, should fulfill their obligation.”
Although the US is not a member of the ICC, some of its closest allies including the UK, Canada and France are member states.
