International Criminal Court Issues Arrest Warrant for Shoigu and Gerasimov
Former Russian Chief of General Staff Valeriy Gerasimov and ex-Minister of Defense Sergey Shoigu have been charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for their alleged actions during the war in Ukraine between October 10, 2022 and March 9, 2023. The ICC has issued arrest warrants for the two individuals, citing their responsibility for attacks on civilians and civilian targets during that time period.
The ICC’s statement mentioned that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Gerasimov and Shoigu bear individual criminal liability for war crimes such as directing attacks against civilian targets, harming civilians, and committing inhumane acts against them. The court also highlighted that the arrest warrants were issued based on evidence presented by the Prosecutor’s Office, which indicated that the two individuals were involved in missile attacks on Ukraine’s electrical infrastructure.
Numerous power plants and transformers in Ukraine were reportedly targeted by the Russian Armed Forces during the specified period. The Pre-Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Court found that the evidence supported the war crime charges against civilians and decided to issue the arrest warrants accordingly.
It is important to note that Sergey Shoigu, who currently serves as the Secretary of the Russian Security Council, is among the individuals facing arrest warrants from the ICC. This development follows the court’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin last year.
The International Criminal Court’s actions against Russian military and political figures demonstrate a commitment to holding individuals accountable for their alleged involvement in crimes committed during the conflict in Ukraine.
