Sylvie Claire / September 3, 2024
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Mongolia on Monday, according to Russian television, marking his first trip to a member country of the International Criminal Court (ICC) since an arrest warrant was issued for him.
The ICC and the Ukrainian authorities have called on Mongolia to arrest Vladimir Putin, who is the target of the warrant on suspicion of illegally deporting Ukrainian children to Russia.
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted last week, however, that the Kremlin had “no concerns” in this regard. “Of course, all aspects of the visit have been carefully prepared,” he added.
Like all other states parties to the Rome Statute which founded the ICC, Mongolia “has an obligation to cooperate” with it, a spokesman for the court, Fadi el-Abdallah, told the press.
When a member country fails to meet its obligations to the ICC, the latter can refer the matter to the Assembly of States Parties, which meets once a year, but whose sanctions are essentially limited to a verbal reprimand.
In the past, other individuals subject to arrest warrants issued by the Court, such as former Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir, have travelled to countries that have signed the Rome Statute, without being troubled.
Mongolia signed the Statute in 2000, before ratifying it in 2002.