Robert Besser
23 Mar 2023, 06:13 GMT+10
DUBLIN, Ireland: Ireland's Department of Justice has acknowledged that it would arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin on charges of war crimes if he found himself in Ireland.
This follows last week's actions by the International Criminal Court in issuing an arrest warrant for Putin. The court charged the Russian leader with forcibly removing Ukrainian children to Russia.
Also charged was Russia's commissioner for children's rights, Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova.
The charges, considered forced deportation of children, were labeled a war crime by the Rome Statute which established the ICC in 1998.
Officials said that Ireland, having signed the Rome Statute, is legally bound to abide by the decisions of the International Criminal Court, which is based in The Hague in the Netherlands.
"As with any case, if Ireland receives a request for the arrest and surrender of a person who is subject to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant, this request will be dealt with in accordance with the ICC Act 2006," a Department of Justice spokesman said, as quoted by The Irish Times.
At the same time, officials acknowledged that it is highly unlikely that Putin would travel to a country that recognizes the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.
Internationally, the arrest warrant is seen for its symbolic value and was meant to send a message to Russian officials that they are vulnerable to prosecution.
This week, Ireland's Minister for Justice Simon Harris Harris attended a meeting of justice ministers in London, "in support of the International Criminal Court's efforts to secure accountability for Russian war crimes in Ukraine."
While in London, Harris announced that Ireland would contribute 1 million euros to support the International Criminal Court's Office of the Prosecutor, along with 2 million euros towards a trust fund to assist victims of war crimes. This funding now makes Ireland one of the leading financial supporters of the International Criminal Court among EU nations.
"Ireland has been steadfast in its condemnation of Russia's unprovoked and unjustified aggression as a grave violation of international law," Harris said in London. "We are committed to promoting accountability for violations of international law, including international crimes, arising out of Russia's invasion of Ukraine," as quoted by the Irish Times.
Get a daily dose of Irish Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Irish Sun.
More InformationDHAKA, Bangladesh - The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed a case against 13 members of Grameen Telecom's board of directors, ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: The U.S. Commerce Department has said that trade ministers from 14 countries have taken part in the US-led ...
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky: Two horses that succumbed to their injuries at Churchill Downs have become the 11th and 12th fatalities over ...
FREMONT, California: Brain implant company Neuralink announced that it has received approval from US regulators to begin human brain implant ...
JEFFERSONVILLE, Indiana: Randy Lankford, owner of Lankford Funeral Home and Family Center in Jeffersonville, Indiana, has pleaded guilty to more ...
DENVER, COLORADO: A federal judge has ruled that a rural Colorado school district can ban a high school student from ...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Ireland has set a record as unemployment fell to 3.8 percent in May, according to the Central Statistics ...
PORTLAND, Maine: Fishermen in the US's only commercial-scale fishing industry for valuable baby eels, called elvers, have recorded a productive ...
WARSAW, Poland: Plans are underway in Poland to gradually raise the minimum wage twice in 2024. The wage plan has ...
BEIJING, China: China will put into commercial operation its first large passenger airliner, in a bid to challenge western plane ...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Ireland's homeowners and businesses expect to see still more reductions in the cost of natural gas as the ...
SAN FRANCISCO, California: Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, has said the company could consider leaving Europe if it could ...