ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan speaks on Putin's arrest warrant

The International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan has underscored that the Hague-based tribunal is earnestly looking to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes and illegal deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.

Khan, who is currently in Nairobi, says that the ICC issued an arrest warrant against Putin since evidence tabled against the Russian leader was sufficient enough for the court to draw the document.

The ICC says that Putin committed the said offences in Ukraine from February 2022. The Kremlin has however rubbished the warrant issued against Putin labeling it as “outrageous.”

“The warrant has the quality of a judicial order. We will not be bringing cases that are not strong. This is the time that we have to show [that] international justice is not hot air and false promises,” Khan said in an interview with TV47.

“I believe there is a foundation to this application and it compelled me to move in the direction that I have and now it's for us to make sure that we can do the job in all situations because every human life matters equally."

While acknowledging Russia's position as a permanent member of the Security Council and a founding member of the UN charter, Khan noted that the law must apply to all equally and as effectively as possible.

He went on to point out that despite perceived delays, the ICC has in the past prosecuted notable personalities wanted for various crimes against humanity who once thought of themselves as untouchable.

“People might think that justice is impotent but look at Rwanda's Jean Kambanda, he was a prime minister but was found guilty. Charles Taylor thought that since he was the President of Liberia he could never be arrested but he was. Serbia's Slobodan Milošević and Bosnia's Radovan Karadžić were also prosecuted,” he said.

Khan added that the basic principle of the ICC is to have trials held in individual countries but in the event that there is no justice or determined effort to vindicate the rights of the most vulnerable then the Hague court is forced to intervene.