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Indian Sisters File Supreme Court Petition to Detain Putin at G20 Over ICC War Crimes Warrant
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Two young Indian citizens have filed a Public Interest Litigation in the Supreme Court of India demanding the detention of Russian leader Vladimir Putin if he arrives in New Delhi for the G20 Summit.
The petition, filed by sisters Joya S. Joseph (21) and Josea S. Joseph (19), invokes Articles 32 and 142 of the Indian Constitution and argues that India has both a legal and moral obligation to hand Putin over to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC issued an arrest warrant against the Russian leader in March 2023 for war crimes, specifically the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The petition names as respondents the Union of India, the Prime Minister, the President, the Ministry of External Affairs, the Chief of Defense Staff, and even the Supreme Court itself. International figures and institutions such as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, NATO, and the ICC are listed as “parties having interest.”
The petitioners argue that no one, not even a head of state, should be above the law. They cite the principles of universal jurisdiction, comity of nations, and India’s obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention to justify their plea. The sisters contend that diplomatic immunity is “a privilege, not a right” and can be revoked in cases involving grave breaches of international law.
Their filing raises six key legal questions, including whether the Supreme Court of India has the authority to detain and transfer Putin to the ICC, and whether the judiciary or the executive branch has the final say in matters involving international law and head-of-state immunity.
The petition stresses that the issue is not about taking sides in the Russia–Ukraine war but about upholding the rule of law. It calls the case “historic and extraordinary,” urging the court to seize the opportunity to demonstrate that India, as a signatory to the Geneva Conventions, must not allow impunity for war crimes.
The sisters have also requested emergency hearings before a full constitutional bench, given that Putin’s possible attendance at the G20 Summit was scheduled for September 9–10, 2023. They ask the Court to ensure that he does not leave Indian territory during the proceedings.
“This Court stands on the cusp of history to decide a case of epic proportions,” the petition reads, “so that strongmen like Vladimir Putin will ‘think twice’ before starting a war.”
Earlier, Ukrainian prosecutors documented another Russian war crime in Donetsk region, reporting that in August 2025 near Myroliubivka, Russian troops captured a Ukrainian soldier and held him with seven other bound prisoners in the basement of an occupied house.
