The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken action against Mongolia for failing to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin during his recent visit, despite an arrest warrant issued by the Court. The warrant was issued in connection to Putin’s alleged involvement in the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
According to the ICC, Mongolia’s failure to arrest and surrender Putin while he was on its territory is a violation of the court’s request for cooperation. The Rome Statute, which is the ICC’s founding treaty, requires member states to arrest wanted suspects.
The ICC judges have referred the matter to the Assembly of States Parties due to the seriousness of Mongolia’s lack of cooperation. Despite the arrest warrant issued in March 2023, Putin’s trip to Mongolia marked his first visit to an ICC member state in 18 months.
This incident highlights the challenges faced by the ICC in enforcing arrest warrants, as past instances of member states failing to execute warrants have had limited consequences. It remains to be seen how the ICC and member states will address this issue moving forward.