THE HAGUE, Netherlands — On Thursday, judges from the International Criminal Court filed a report with the court’s oversight body concerning Mongolia’s failure to apprehend Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to the country last month.
This trip marked Putin’s first visit to a state that is a member of the court since an arrest warrant was issued for him one year ago, accusing him of committing war crimes related to the abduction of children from Ukraine. Notably, Russia is not a member of the court and has dismissed these allegations as baseless.
In a statement, the court emphasized that nations that are part of the international legal framework or accept its jurisdiction are obligated to make arrests and surrender individuals named in ICC warrants, irrespective of their official positions or nationality.
Putin is being sought by the court due to allegations concerning his direct involvement in the unlawful deportation of minors and the illegal transfer of children from occupied Ukrainian territories to Russia.
Instead of executing the arrest warrant, Mongolian officials gave Putin a grand welcome. Upon his arrival in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city, he was greeted in the main square by an honor guard adorned in striking red and blue outfits inspired by the historic personal guard of Genghis Khan, the Mongol Empire’s founder.
Prior to the visit, Ukraine had called on Mongolia to comply with the court’s demands and hand over Putin. Additionally, the European Union voiced their concerns regarding Mongolia’s possible reluctance to act on the warrant.
Given the gravity of Mongolia’s decision not to cooperate, the court announced that the issue would be raised with the Assembly of States Parties — its oversight body — which is scheduled to meet in December in The Hague.
The exact course of action the assembly will take is yet to be determined. While Putin was in Mongolia, the court indicated that the assembly, composed of all 124 member states, possesses the authority to implement any measures it finds necessary.