The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced on Tuesday that it has issued arrest warrants for Valery Gerasimov, Russia’s Chief of the General Staff, and Sergei Shoigu, the former Russian Defense Minister. The warrants, issued on Monday, cite alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the conflict in Ukraine.
According to the ICC, Gerasimov and Shoigu are accused of orchestrating missile strikes on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure between October 10, 2022, and March 9, 2023. The court’s judges stated there are “reasonable grounds to believe” that the two officials bear responsibility for attacks that targeted civilian structures, causing excessive harm to civilians. The strikes were allegedly directed against civilian objects and, even when military targets were involved, resulted in disproportionate civilian damage compared to the anticipated military advantage.
Ukraine welcomed the ICC’s decision, with President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Chief of Staff, Andriy Yermak, asserting that “everyone will be held accountable for evil.” The decision marks a significant moment in the ongoing conflict, highlighting international efforts to address alleged war crimes.
In March of last year, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, which Moscow dismissed as “void.” In retaliation, Russia issued its own warrant against the ICC’s president. Despite these legal maneuvers, enforcement of ICC warrants remains a challenge, as the court relies on its 124 member states’ justice systems for execution. This reliance complicates the arrest of individuals, particularly when they avoid travel to member states.
President Putin has traveled to non-ICC member countries like China, Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates over the past year. Notably, he skipped a BRICS summit in South Africa last summer, a country expected to enforce the ICC warrant, underscoring the practical difficulties in executing international justice.
This development underscores the ICC’s ongoing commitment to holding individuals accountable for serious crimes, even as geopolitical complexities continue to influence the enforcement of international law.
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