When it comes to the creation of a tribunal to bring Russia to justice for various war crimes, Baltic States and Poland are ahead of all other countries, said Latvian Minister of Justice Inese Lībiņa-Egnere in an interview to LTV programme Rīta panorāma.
She said Baltic States and Poland work the most actively to form a tribunal to bring Russia to justice. At the same time, work isn’t done as quickly as desired, and this work needs to continue.
«We are prepared to move much faster and in a more determined manner. People listen to us. But creation of international regulations requires time,»
said Lībiņa-Egnere.
«Latvia insists on the creation of an international tribunal because the International Criminal Court cannot judge a crime of aggression that is at the base of all committed crimes – the act of aggression against independent Ukraine committed by Russia,» added the minister.
As for the arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin issued by the International Criminal Court, the Latvian minister said it is a symbolic gesture. «Legal justification has been found to accuse Vladimir Putin, who issued the criminal order, of violation of children’s rights,» she explained.
Previously it was reported that the International Criminal Court decided to issue arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Ombudsman for Children’s RightsMaria Lvova-Belova for deportations of Ukrainian children.
«Mr. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, born on 7 October 1952, President of the Russian Federation, is 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 (under articles 8(2)(a)(vii) and 8(2)(b)(viii) of the Rome Statute). The crimes were allegedly committed in Ukrainian occupied territory at least from 24 February 2022. There are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr. Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crimes, (i) for having committed the acts directly,» the statement posted on the website of the International Criminal Court mentions.
Russian Ombudsman for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova is presented with similar charges.
Russia is not a member state of the International Criminal Court and it is unclear how the court plans to implement the warrant. Neither is Ukraine, but Kyiv accepts the court’s jurisdiction and cooperates with its prosecution office.
Also read: Ukraine prepares for a counterattack