Last year, the International Criminal Court at The Hague (ICC) issued warrants for the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s Children’s Commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, on charges of having forcibly deported Ukrainian children and “resettled” them in Russia.

And in June of this year, the ICC issued additional warrants against Russia’s then Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Armed Forces Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov, charging both with war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February of 2022.

The ICC does not have enforcement authority, but must wait and hope for the subject of such a warrant to travel to a member country willing to make the arrest on their territory on the ICC’s behalf. Thus far, all three remain at liberty.

But now — in a classic case of “you just can’t make this stuff up” — a Moscow court has issued an arrest warrant for ICC Judge Haykel Ben Mahfoudh on a charge of “illegal incarceration” stemming from the warrants against Shoigu and Gerasimov. Judge Mahfoudh and two ICC colleagues were responsible for having issued the warrants against them in June. [RFE/RL, November 12, 2024.]

Looking at this development from as objective a viewpoint as possible, what immediately jumps out at me? Well, aside from the fact that a Russian court is not an international organization and thus has no jurisdiction outside of its own territory . . .

. . . and ignoring the obvious fact that issuing a warrant cannot by any stretch of the imagination be construed as “illegal incarceration,” since they are not in custody but are perfectly free to travel to any non-ICC-member country of their choosing . . .

. . . doesn’t it then seem painfully obvious that . . .

. . . this is just plain childish??!!!

I mean, really childish. Putin is behaving like . . . well, exactly like what he is: the big bully on the playground. “You hit me six months ago, so now I’m going to break your nose, just for spite.”

Don’t they have anything better to do in Moscow? Such as withdraw their troops from Ukraine?

Or rewrite a few of their more outrageous laws, and let some political prisoners out of jail?

Or maybe hold a legitimate, multi-party election?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
11/13/24