ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Russian Officials Over Ukraine Invasion
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants on Tuesday against former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces, General Valery Gerasimov, for alleged crimes committed by Russian forces against civilians during the Ukraine invasion, as reported by Reuters and cited by G4Media.
In a press release, the ICC stated that its judges found "reasonable grounds to believe that the two suspects bear responsibility for missile strikes conducted by Russian armed forces against Ukrainian electrical infrastructure, beginning at least on October 10, 2022, and continuing until at least March 9, 2023."
Additionally, Shoigu and Gerasimov face ICC accusations of "directing attacks against civilian objects, causing excessive civilian casualties and collateral damage among civilians and civilian objects," as well as crimes against humanity through "inhuman acts," as defined in the Rome Statute.
Following the ICC's announcement of arrest warrants against Shoigu and Gerasimov, President Zelensky's Chief of Staff, Andriy Yermak, described it as an "important decision," while the Security Council of the Russian Federation viewed these warrants as part of the hybrid warfare against Russia.
In 2023, the ICC issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin for his role in the deportation of children from Ukraine.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
