USA: Vladimir Putin is impossible to be arrested because he has immunity
The United States believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be arrested on charges of war crimes in Ukraine as long as he is head of state. Photo/REUTERS
- The government of the United States (US) considers that Russian President Vladimir Putin is unlikely to be arrested at this time on charges of war crimes in Ukraine. This is because he has immunity as long as he is head of state.
This was conveyed by Beth Van Schaack, US Ambassador for Global Criminal Justice who is also a representative of the US Department of State. Van Schaack repeated his old thesis that the US supports the idea of an international tribunal in the Ukrainian justice system. Such a court, however, would not be able to overcome Putin's immunity while he remains in office. Van Schaack, however, believes that the head of state of the Russian Federation will not be arrested while he holds the highest office in the country.
"It is unlikely that anyone will arrest Putin while he is head of state. If he ends up in the custody of a foreign court, the ICC [International Criminal Court] or the special chamber of Ukraine, it will most likely be because he is no longer the head of state," said Beth Van Schaack, as quoted by Ukrayinska Pravda, Tuesday (15/8/2023) ).
At the same time, he said, "This doesn't mean that you can't start an investigation, prepare charges against him and others in the chain of command."
The American diplomat was asked whether the trial that could not overcome the president's immunity was worth the effort.
"There are many other high-ranking officials in Russia who are responsible for the war in Ukraine. They hold senior management positions, make decisions and direct actions that amount to Russian aggression. These people must be held accountable for the crime of aggression, for all war crimes and atrocities. Therefore, a special indictment chamber still makes sense," said Van Schaack.
At the same time, Van Schaack emphasized that Ukraine must continue its investigation of Putin while he is in power, and must be prepared for swift action if a political transformation begins in Russia and he loses his position and immunity.
In July, Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite confirmed that the United States supports an international tribunal that is based on Ukrainian law but incorporates international law concepts.
Previously, in an interview with European Pravda, Anton Korynevych, ambassador for special assignments at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, said that a decision on how the trial for the crime of Russian aggression would look like had not yet been made.