Mongolian officials “have the obligation” to arrest Vladimir Putin if he visits the country next week, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has said.
The trip, expected to happen on Tuesday, will be the first time the Russian leader has visited an ICC member nation since the court ordered his arrest in March 2023.
The court alleges Mr Putin is responsible for war crimes, saying he failed to stop the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia since the conflict began.
Despite officials in Ukraine demanding that Mongolia arrest Mr Putin once he arrives in the country, the Kremlin said it had “no worries” about the visit.
“We have an excellent rapport with our partners from Mongolia,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow.
“Of course, all aspects of the President’s visit have been carefully prepared.”
Dr Fadi el-Abdallah, a spokesperson for the ICC, told the BBC on Friday that the court relies on its States Parties – including Mongolia – to “execute its decisions”.
He said Mongolia, like other ICC signatories, has the “obligation to cooperate”. This includes complying with arrest warrants such as the one the court issued for Mr Putin’s arrest in 2023.
The court alleged the Russian president is responsible for war crimes, focusing on the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia. It has also issued a warrant for the arrest of Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, for the same crimes.
It said the crimes were committed in Ukraine from 24 February 2022 – when Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
Moscow has previously denied the allegations and labelled the warrants as “outrageous”.
Dr Abdallah said ICC judges will look into cases of “non-cooperation” by its signatories and inform the Assembly of States Parties, which may “take any measure it deems appropriate”.
The ICC has no powers to arrest suspects, and can only exercise jurisdiction within its member countries.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry said it hoped Mongolia was “aware of the fact that Vladimir Putin is a war criminal” and called on the country’s authorities to arrest the Russian leader and hand him over to prosecutors at The Hague, the seat of the ICC in the Netherlands.
Last year, Mr Putin cancelled a visit to a summit in South Africa following the ICC warrant for his arrest.
As a signatory to the court, South Africa should detain suspects in its territory, but President Ramaphosa warned Russia would see this as a declaration of war.
Mr Ramaphosa said the decision for the Russian leader to not attend was “mutual”.
The BBC has contacted the Mongolian Embassy for a comment.
BBC
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