Abuse of Power: How Even International Courts Cannot Stop Putin
Article by Christine Li, TPT Staff Writer
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for his criminal role in the invasion of Ukraine. The charges stem from war crime allegations that have emerged throughout the current war. These include the abduction of thousands of Ukrainian children, who have been sent to re-education facilities in Russia in a systematic effort to erase their Ukrainian identity.
The ICC, which addresses governmental impunity and international crimes against humanity, has responded to mounting evidence of war crimes facilitated by the Russian government. According to a report by the United Nations Human Rights Council, thousands of children have been transferred and held in Russian camps as recently as January 2023. Many of them were lost or separated from their parents during detainment. With the goal of exposing the children to Russian-centric education, the government hopes to cleanse their Ukrainian identity and enforce Russian values. The ICC’s warrant cites “unlawful deportations of civilians and unlawfully moving them from occupied Ukraine into Russia” under Putin’s watch. The same warrant was also applied to Putin’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights, Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova.
According to the ICC statement,, “There are reasonable grounds to believe that each suspect bears responsibility for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population and that of unlawful transfer of population from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, in prejudice of Ukrainian children.”
Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov responded, “We view even posing this question to be itself outrageous and unacceptable.” The arrest warrant also fueled further fury amongst Putin allies, with former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev going as far as to call for missile strikes to the ICC. Russia's top court is initiating investigations into the ICC and the judges responsible for the warrant.
Photo via Foreign Policy Magazine/Alex Halada/Getty Images
Although there is legal standing for Putin’s arrest, it is unlikely to occur without conflict - especially given Russia’s authoritarian regime. The ICC cannot enforce their warrants on their own as they do not have their own police force. Rather, they rely on the individual countries to take legal action. Considering Putin’s scale of political control and history of suppressing his opponents, it is impossible to be certain that Russia will aid in arresting Putin.
In an interview with Time Magazine, Bill Bowring, a University of London professor who has prosecuted cases against Russia in the European Court of Human Rights, doubted that Putin will meet the consequences. He said, “Putin is not going to leave Russia. There is no world government that could compel [him] to leave Russia.”
Germany has since stepped up and announced that if Putin were to step foot on German soil, he would be efficiently arrested and enforce the ICC warrant if given the chance. However, Russia is still a global powerhouse with a massive stockpile of nuclear arms. Possible geo-political conflicts could arise if legal action is taken.
Without punishment actually mandated, many question the real impact of the ICC’s warrant. Though the announcement may not result in action, it could take a major toll on public opinion as Russian atrocities come to light. Bowring believes that there is great public respect towards the ICC. Their warrant further marginalizes Russia in the wake of their indefensible actions. It could even rally support in Ukraine for a NATO entrance and bolstered weaponry. Bowring also predicts a weakened image of Putin to the Russian public, negating his facade as the defender of children. “I suspect that is something that Russia will be sensitive to, because Russia in general likes to show that it’s particularly concerned about children,” says Bowring
Whether action may arise or not, the warrant should serve as a warning to all politicians powerful or not - “no one is above the law."
The views articulated in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the official stances of The Progressive Teen or High School Democrats of America.