ICC Should Be Wary of Acting on Putin's Arrest Warrant: Medvedev
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC) should think twice before executing the arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia’s Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said.
Commenting on the EU’s statement regarding Putin’s visit to Mongolia, which is an ICC signatory, he said: "The Mongolians have ignored the ICC and the European politicians."
"If I were a judge or prosecutor of this so-called court, I would be afraid that some fool would carry out their illegal order. In that case, their lives would be worth no more than that piece of paper," Medvedev wrote on his Telegram channel, TASS reported.
On March 17, 2023, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian presidential commissioner for children’s rights, for their alleged involvement in war crimes "consisting of the illegal deportation of the population," including children, and their illegal transfer to Russia. The Security Council deputy chairman then slammed the ICC statute as "legally null and void."
Putin is on his first official visit to Mongolia in five years. The visit, which began on the evening of September 2, is at the invitation of Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, who invited Putin to visit the country in the fall of 2023.
Just like five years ago, Putin will take part in events celebrating the anniversary of the joint victory of Soviet and Mongolian troops over the Japanese militarists during the Battles of Khalkhin Gol. In addition, the Russian president is scheduled to hold talks and a series of bilateral meetings with Mongolian authorities. The visit will conclude with a reception.