After Europe Minister Karoline Edtstadler, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (both ÖVP) has now confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin would “of course” be arrested if he enters Austria. “No one is above the law. All crimes must be fully clarified, there must be no impunity,” a spokeswoman for the foreign minister said on Wednesday.
As a contracting party to the Rome Statute, Austria, like all other contracting parties, is obliged to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC). “This means that court arrest warrants must be executed and those wanted by the court must be arrested. Of course, that also applies to President Putin,’ says Schallenberg’s spokeswoman for the APA.
“Hypothetical question
However, the question is more of a “hypothetical nature” because after the publication of the ICC’s arrest warrant against Putin in March, it seems “highly unlikely that Putin will travel to one of the 123 contracting states of the ICC and expose himself to the risk of arrest”.
Minister of Europe Edtstadler and Minister of Justice Alma Zadic (Greens) had previously made similar statements. Regarding Hungary’s refusal to execute the international arrest warrant against Putin if he enters Hungary, Zadic said in late March that Hungary had also ratified the Rome Statute and was therefore bound by it.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
