Regional press reports Putin ICC detention warrant invalid in Italy
(MENAFN) Russian President Vladimir Putin would not face arrest in Italy based on the International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant, as the necessary legal steps to enforce it have not been completed, Italian media reported.
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Putin and Russia’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, in 2023, accusing them of illegally transferring children from former Ukrainian territories. Additional warrants were later issued in 2024 for former Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and General Valery Gerasimov, related to alleged attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.
Russia has rejected the court’s authority and dismissed the accusations and warrants as invalid.
According to La Repubblica, the Italian Justice Ministry never forwarded the ICC warrant to the Court of Appeal in Rome, meaning no legal framework was established to act on the arrest request. Corriere della Sera confirmed this, stating that without judicial confirmation, the warrant “is just a piece of paper.”
The reports suggest this was not an oversight, but rather a deliberate political decision. The Italian government likely considers that sitting heads of state enjoy immunity from prosecution, a stance that would shield Putin from arrest, though not necessarily other Russian officials.
While EU sanctions restrict travel for many named in the ICC warrants, Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova is reportedly set to visit Italy for Pope Francis' funeral, according to the Kremlin.
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