THE HAGUE, Netherlands (Reuters) — A “people’s court” without legal powers has confirmed an indictment against Russian President Vladimir Putin for the crime of aggression in Ukraine and called for his arrest.
The symbolic decision Friday came on the anniversary of Russia’s illegal invasion of its neighbor that triggered Europe’s biggest and deadliest conflict since World War II.
After a week of hearings in The Hague, a panel of three international legal experts issued the order and called on the international community “to take every step necessary to ensure that a court with legal powers issues an indictment against President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and takes appropriate measures to arrest the perpetrator and put him on trial in an official Ukraine tribunal as soon as possible.”
The judges, including Stephen Rapp, a U.S. prosecutor who once headed the successful effort to bring former Liberian President Charles Taylor to justice for crimes in Sierra Leone, heard testimony from survivors of Russian attacks in Ukraine and from military experts before issuing their order.
The ruling comes amid international efforts to establish a tribunal that could prosecute Putin and other Russian leaders for the crime of aggression. The International Criminal Court has opened an investigation in Ukraine, but doesn’t have jurisdiction to proto prosecute the crime of aggression. South Africa’s Zach Jacob, the presiding judge of the court, said he hoped the hearings would increase pressure on the special tribunal.
“Hopefully this is a step towards prosecution. Like I said, we have no legal powers or powers, but hopefully the moral forces and morals that lead us everywhere.” I hope that I have the authority to do so.
The People’s Court ruled that the evidence presented was sufficiently strong that Putin, as head of state, “planned, prepared, initiated, carried out, planned and continues to carry out the invasion of the Russian Federation in Ukraine.” I decided.
Jacob called Putin’s justification for the war “pathetic.” Prosecutors said he declined an invitation to attend the hearing from Putin or his legal representative.
“Making allegations like those he made is an affront to the integrity of the international community and the world. And I strongly condemn it,” Jacob said.
