The country’s Court of Appeal reportedly never processed the document, making it unenforceable
Russian President Vladimir Putin would not be at risk of being arrested in Italy under an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant, as officials never completed the procedures required to make it valid, local media have reported.
In 2023, the Hague-based ICC issued arrest warrants for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, over the alleged unlawful deportation and transfer of children from former Ukrainian territories.
One year later, the ICC issued additional warrants for senior Russian military commanders, including former Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and General Valery Gerasimov, accusing them of attacking civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.
Moscow, which does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction, has denied both accusations and declared the warrants null and void.
While Rome has committed to complying with ICC rulings, the warrants for Russian officials “are not actually effective in Italy at this time,” La Repubblica reported on Thursday. It explained that the Justice Ministry had never sent the warrant to the Court of Appeal in Rome, and therefore the documentation needed for the arrest to be conducted was never received.
Corriere della Sera also confirmed the report, saying the court’s failure to sign off on the warrant “transformed it into a piece of paper with no effect.”
The decision not to file the paperwork to enforce the warrant is not likely to have been an oversight or a coincidence, La Repubblica said, suggesting that it was a “political choice.” Corriere della Sera agreed, noting that the warrants for the Russian commanders were also not processed, making them invalid as well.
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