Putin Ally Proposing Banning ICC in Russia

Russian Parliament Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin proposed banning the International Criminal Court's proceedings in the country, after the court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of war crimes

Volodin, a Putin ally, said Russia's constitution should be amended to ban any ICC activity in the country and punish anyone who provides "assistance and support" to the ICC

Last week, the International Criminal Court announced the issuance of an arrest warrant against the Russian president for his supposed responsibility for war crimes committed in Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022

"The ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber II has issued arrest warrants for two individuals in the context of the situation in Ukraine: Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova," Russia's Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights, a court statement said.

In its statement, the court added that Putin "is presumed responsible for the war crime of illegal deportation of (children's) residents and illegal transfer of (children's) residents from the occupied regions of Ukraine to the Russian Federation".

At the time, the Russian Foreign Ministry described the decisions of the International Criminal Court as “insignificant” and “legally void.” Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said via "Telegram" that "the decisions of the International Criminal Court are of no importance to our country" because Moscow is not binding on it, adding that its decisions are legally invalid for us".