A day before Vladimir Putin’s visit, the human rights organization Human Rights Watch called on Mongolia to deny the Russian ruler entry into the country or arrest him.
“Mongolia would be violating its international obligations as a member of the International Criminal Court if it allowed Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit without arresting him,” said Maria Elena Vignoli of Human Rights Watch.
According to information from Moscow, Putin is traveling to the country on Tuesday at the invitation of Mongolian President Uchnaagiin Chürelsüch to expand cooperation with his neighbor – despite an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
The Kremlin sees no danger for Putin
Mongolia recognizes the criminal court and should actually arrest Putin during his stay in Ulan Bator. However, Moscow sees this calmly and due to the friendly relations between the two countries it does not pose a threat to Putin, as Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov explained. It is Putin’s first trip to a country that is a member of the court in The Hague since the beginning of his war of aggression against Ukraine.
Mongolia tries to maintain a balanced relationship with its powerful neighbors China and Russia, but also with the West. Since Mongolia is also dependent on Russia, it is unlikely that the country would jeopardize relations by arresting Putin.
International Warrant for War Crimes
The ICC, based in The Hague, has been prosecuting particularly serious crimes, such as war crimes, since 2002. It began its investigation immediately after Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine began in February 2022. In March 2023, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin personally for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
This was issued because of the “illegal deportation” of Ukrainian children to Russia. The World Criminal Court itself is not able to execute arrest warrants. However, all States Parties to the Court are obliged to arrest wanted persons and hand them over to the Court if they are on their territory.
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.
