ICC issues arrest warrants for Russian Army Chief Gerasimov and former Defense Minister Shoigu

Europe, News June 26, 2024 , by IRIA No Comments

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Russia’s former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the military chief, General Valery Gerasimov. The two men are accused of directing attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine, amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The Hague-based court stated that the warrants were issued due to reasonable grounds to believe that Shoigu and Gerasimov were responsible for “missile strikes carried out by the Russian armed forces against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure” from October 10, 2022, until at least March 9, 2023.

The ICC stated that these two officials directed strikes at numerous electric power plants and substations across multiple locations in Ukraine. The judges concluded that these strikes targeted civilian objects, which is a violation of international humanitarian law.

“For those installations that may have qualified as military objectives at the relevant time, the expected incidental civilian harm and damage would have been clearly excessive to the anticipated military advantage,” the court statement added.

In response to these accusations, Russia has maintained that Ukraine’s energy infrastructure constitutes a legitimate military target and has denied intentionally targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure. Despite these denials, the ICC’s findings suggest otherwise, reinforcing the allegations of war crimes.

*^{International Criminal Court Building. (Image Credit: ICC)}*

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said the ICC’s decision was “a clear indication that justice for Russian crimes against Ukrainians is inevitable.”

“Every criminal involved in the planning and execution of these strikes must know that justice will be served. And we do hope to see them behind bars,” he said. Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, said Shoigu and Gerasimov were being held “individually responsible.”

“This is an important decision. Everyone will be held accountable for evil,” he said in a statement. Ukraine is also not a member of the ICC, but it has accepted the court’s jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed on its territory since November 2013.

Based in The Hague, Netherlands, the International Criminal Court (ICC) was established by the Rome Statute treaty. It operates independently, with 124 countries as signatories. However, notable exceptions include the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine. According to the Rome Statute, any signatory country is required to arrest and extradite individuals with ICC arrest warrants.

Last year, the ICC also issued a warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine. In March of this year, arrest warrants were issued for two high-ranking Russian military officers on charges related to attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, deemed to have occurred “according to a state policy.”

^{Russian President Vladimir Putin escorted by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (right) and General Staff Valery Gerasimov (left) after attending an extended meeting of the Russian Defense Ministry Board at the National Defense Control Center in Moscow, Russia, on December 21, 2021. (Image Credit: Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik/Kremlin)}

Russia is not a member of the ICC, does not recognize its jurisdiction, and refuses to hand over suspects. This stance complicates the enforcement of the ICC’s arrest warrants, as Russia is unlikely to comply voluntarily. Nevertheless, the issuance of these warrants is a significant symbolic move, showcasing the international community’s condemnation of actions taken by Russian military leadership.

In a significant cabinet shake-up earlier this year, President Putin replaced Shoigu as Defense during his fifth term as president. Shoigu was subsequently appointed as the secretary of Russia’s Security Council. Russian Security Council dismissed the ICC’s arrest warrant for Shoigu, describing it as part of a “hybrid war” against Moscow, according to the state-run news agency.