Mongolia Must Clarify Ignoring ICC Arrest Warrant for Putin, Says Prosecutor

Mongolia is required to explain why it did not execute the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for Russian Vladimir Putin during his recent visit to the country. This was stated by ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan in an interview with the BBC.

According to Khan, negotiations are currently underway between the judges and the Mongolian government. He clarified that while judges may provide recommendations if non-cooperation is found, the matter is still unresolved.

“The judges might provide recommendations if non-cooperation is detected, but I don’t want to speculate, as the issue is currently being addressed between the judges and the Mongolian government,” the prosecutor noted.

Khan also mentioned that the Ukrainian side requested an investigation into Russia’s actions back in 2021 during his meeting with the Ukrainian Attorney General. However, at that time, the ICC did not have the resources for this, and the prosecutor was occupied with other duties, as he had just taken office. He also expressed doubt that Putin would undertake an invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier, the European Union expressed its disappointment over Mongolia’s failure to fulfill its obligations under the Rome Statute. The EU statement highlighted that President Putin is under an ICC arrest warrant for international crimes, including alleged crimes of illegal deportation and transfer of children from temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories.

The EU affirmed its strong support for efforts to ensure accountability for war crimes and other serious crimes in the context of Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine. The Union called on all member states to fully cooperate with the ICC prosecutor’s investigation in Ukraine.

In August 2024, Ukraine requested Mongolia to arrest Vladimir Putin upon his arrival in the country. The arrest warrant for Putin was issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in March 2023 for the illegal deportation of children from Ukraine.

The ICC confirmed that Mongolia, as a signatory of the Rome Statute, is obligated to execute the arrest warrant. As per the commitments of a Rome Statute member state, Mongolia was supposed to arrest Putin upon his arrival.

On September 1, 2024, the Kremlin confirmed that Putin would visit Mongolia on September 3. At this time, Mongolia was under pressure from the Ukrainian side, which demanded adherence to international obligations and the arrest of the Russian president.

Despite these demands, Mongolia not only failed to arrest Putin but also facilitated his visit in a friendly manner. Official reasons for this included celebrating anniversaries and maintaining neutrality in diplomatic relations.